Cornelia Maria Funke is a German author of children's fiction, often referred to as the "German J. K. Rowling". Born in Dorsten, North Rhine-Westphalia, on 10 December 1958, she began her career as a social worker before transitioning to a book illustrator. In the late 1980s, she started writing novels, focusing primarily on fantasy-oriented stories that depict the lives of children faced with adversity. Funke is recognized as Germany's bestselling author for children.

Her work has been translated into several languages, with over 20 million copies sold worldwide as of 2012. She gained acclaim for children's novels such as The Thief Lord (2002) and Dragon Rider (2004), which were translated and released in English after their initial German publications. Funke achieved wider recognition with the Inkheart series, which includes Inkheart (2003), Inkspell (2005), and Inkdeath (2007). These titles have been adapted into feature films and featured on The New York Times Best Seller list.

Funke was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2005. She is a multiple award-winning German illustrator and storyteller whose fantasy stories are beloved by readers of all ages. Many of her titles are published worldwide and translated into more than 30 languages. Funke resides in Los Angeles, California, with her two children, two birds, and a very old dog.