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Anna Funder: ‘I clearly didn’t know what I was doing … but always knew I was going to write’
The writer and newly installed University of Sydney professor on the lure of Berlin, authors versus AI, and writing ‘from a place of admiration’
TL;DR
- Anna Funder, a new professor at the University of Sydney, did not formally study creative writing but developed her skills through extensive reading and a career shift from international law.
- Her acclaimed books, including Stasiland, All That I Am, and Wifedom, focus on heroic acts of resistance against totalitarianism, particularly by women, and challenge official historical narratives.
- Funder views her university position as a vital defense of the humanities, highlighting their importance for creative thought, debate, and understanding humanity in an era dominated by AI and political shifts.
- Her writing process involves deep, labor-intensive research and is driven by a desire to explore human emotion and behavior, often from a place of admiration for her subjects.
- Funder's upbringing, characterized by intellectual discussion and a search for truth and social justice, influenced her approach to writing and her exploration of power dynamics.