Cornelia Maria Funke (pronounced [ˈfʊŋkə], FOON-ka) is a German author of children's fiction. She was born on December 10, 1958, in Dorsten, North Rhine-Westphalia. Funke is best known for her Inkheart trilogy, published in 2004–2008. Many of her books have now been translated into English. Her work fits mainly into the fantasy and adventure genres. She currently lives in Beverly Hills, California.Funke has sold over 20 million copies of her books worldwide.