Big in China

Thomas Brezina hopes his stories will entertain, inspire, comfort and educate kids. Provided to China Daily

Austrian children's author Thomas Brezina has become one of the most successful foreign authors in China with his addictive tales of mystery and monsters

Testing the limits of his readers' courage with fantastical tales of mystery, mummies and vampires, Thomas Brezina's books grasp the attention of his young audience.

For many Chinese children, his book A Mystery for You and The Tiger Team was their first experience of really falling in love with a collection of printed words and pictures. Brezina's stories have turned countless Chinese children into readers - the Austrian author is among the most popular foreign writers in China.

In fact, children's authors now hold two of the top 10 positions on the official chart of best-selling foreign authors in the Chinese mainland and only J.K. Rowling (creator of the Harry Potter series) outsells Brezina. The 2012 Foreign Writers Rich List, ranked according to royalties earned in China, puts Brezina in 7th place, having earned 2.6 million yuan. The Austrian writer has also been showered with international prizes, including the 2003 National Book Award China.

I met Brezina to find out the secret of his success in China. Why do his books enjoy such popularity in the land of the dragon?

"I think the reason is that my books introduced Chinese kids to the topics of vampires, mummies and a lot of other interesting characters," he says. "Mystery and detective fiction for children are genres which were new to the young Chinese public. So, from what I was told, the stories came at the right time. Mysteries are some of the lightest and most addictive types of fiction; kids having to hunt for mystery clues makes for careful reading."

Also famous for his series The Knickerbocker Gang and his stories about a talking bike called Tom Turbo, Brezina has written 550 books, which are well known among European children too. They have universal appeal and have sold more than 40 million copies worldwide - quite an achievement for the 50-year-old writer from Vienna.

Creating stories for children is his metier. "It's one of my favorite things in the world," he says.

He is so passionate about his vocation that when he is in the middle of writing a story he hardly eats.

"It's not because I can't, it's just because I forget. I am so intrigued and so involved, I forget about time and anything else," he says.

A couple of his most popular titles have been made into movies: Tiger Team and The Knickerbocker Gang. The former has sold more than 18 million copies internationally, while the first 16 books of the latter have also been made into a television series. Another show based on his books, Tom Turbo, is now in its twentieth season. Overall, Brezina's stories have led to the creation of 40 different TV shows, mostly for Austrian television.

Brezina's books are interactive and have a special decoder attached. Sometimes, they include activities for the young readers, who are introduced to the use of the decoder and other special features of the books directly at the bookstore.

A big believer in reading aloud to children, he has performed many public readings, including in China. "I have been to China twice. I have always had a great time there," he says. "The readings were packed with so many children and adults and I was deeply touched by their open enthusiasm about my stories. Chinese kids told me that the three Tiger-Kids in the books are role models for them. They love their courage and independence. I love describing kids who go on big adventures and have to prove their courage and wit."

How did he start his adventure in China? "Actually, it all started in a very simple way, with a normal license deal," he says. "The Chinese publisher [Hongjun Cai, HERCULES Business & Culture GmbH] came across my books by accident and saw the potential in the concept. Suddenly, the sales went up and this continued with each new series."

The characters in Brezina's books are usually based on someone he's met or children he knows, with a part of himself in there too.

"Every character I create holds a little bit of my personality; they resemble me in some way or other," he says.

Brezina draws inspiration for his books from everything around him. "Sometimes, I hear people talk, and it sparks a new idea," he says. "I dream about new stories or how existing ones could continue. Everything I see or experience can possibly trigger something new."

He's also inspired by simply watching children. "I always ask myself the question: What would they like to read? What does adventure mean to them? What would fascinate them? I eavesdrop and get lots of ideas that way," he says. "Then, every time I hit a brick wall when I write, I go for a walk. Most of the time it helps me to find new ways to continue the story."

In his own childhood Brezina says he was something of an "outsider," more interested in puppet theater and stories than football.

"What maybe had been painful in my childhood later gave me lots of inspiration for my books," he says.

He does not have children of his own. "But you never know," says Brezina, who has been the official Ambassador of Unicef Austria since 1996. One of his concerns is children's education.

"It's too focused on knowledge and discipline," he says. "We should provide more education for the soul and the heart. Social skills should become a subject in school and we as adults should teach kids the art of happiness."

Animal rights and the environment are also his interests and often play a part in his books. At one time Brezina was training to become a veterinarian, but quit his studies.

"In hindsight, I think it was the best decision I could have made," he says. "Today I help and support animals in other ways, through my books. For instance, I write stories about a girl, whose father is a vet, and who heals a lot of animals. I love those stories."

As a schoolboy, Brezina didn't like his own German mother tongue: "I had a terrible teacher, who only looked for spelling mistakes and didn't encourage my passion for writing or my love of literature. On the contrary, my English teacher did: that's why I write in a sort of Anglo-American style."

Will he ever write for adults? "Yes, most definitely. But at the moment I write some short stories just for myself, without any intention of publishing them. Still, I believe things can change very quickly."

He also writes for television and recently finished the first series of a new show called ABC Bear. "It is intended for pre-school children; it has lots of charming puppets and songs as well as some didactical information, such as an introduction to the alphabet and numbers from 1-10," he explains. "I fell in love with the characters and their little adventures in their magical tree house on a lorry."

What is his main satisfaction as a writer? "It's great seeing the kids' enjoyment in reading my books. I hope my stories will entertain, inspire, comfort and educate kids. I am deeply touched when adults approach me and tell me how important my stories were in their childhood.

"My aim is to fascinate and show them how much potential they have and how much I believe in them. We are surrounded by miracles and wonderful things and only have to keep our eyes open."

He is also working on a new series called Liz Kiss, which he says is a "surprise".

What does the future hold for the Viennese children's writer? "I am so curious. My biggest wish is to stay healthy and ready for everything that comes up. I want to create many more stories and try out new things. Life is supposed to be an adventure," he says with a smile.

For China Daily

(China Daily 03/29/2013 page28)