Every reader knows about the feeling that characters in books seem more real than real people.

The sea always filled her with longing, though for what she was never sure.

If you keep pretending you're in that book, it will make you not want to live in the life you're in.

She is a real bookworm. I think she lives on print. Her whole house is full of books - looks as if she likes them better than human company.

I always thought it hadn't influenced me very much, but I heard from many people from England that many motives from German fairytales are to be found in my books.

I live in Hamburg; that's in the north. And I live on the outskirts of town. It looks like countryside.

What are stories for if we don't learn from them?