Elfie Donnelly Reflects on Creating Iconic Children's Characters and Challenges of Modern Storytelling

The author of Benjamin Blümchen and Bibi Blocksberg shares her journey, creative process, and concerns about adapting to contemporary cultural sensitivities.

• Elfie Donnelly, the creator of beloved children's characters Benjamin Blümchen and Bibi Blocksberg, revealed she never intended to write for children but was guided by her 'inner child.'
• Donnelly described herself as not being 'a big friend of children' and acknowledged that her work stems from personal experiences and a 'fundamental sadness' rooted in her childhood trauma.
• She shared that the idea for Benjamin Blümchen, a talking elephant, originated as a joke inspired by a weather vane on a church steeple in 1977.
• Donnelly expressed frustration with the constraints of modern storytelling, citing the need to anticipate potential backlash and avoid certain character traits or descriptions, which she feels limits creative expression.
• Now 75 and residing on Ibiza, Donnelly reflected on her career, her marriage to Peter Lustig of 'Löwenzahn,' and the enduring cultural impact of her creations, with Bibi Blocksberg celebrating its 45th anniversary this year.

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