About

My name is Hélène Hardy, and I live in Zoufftgen, a small village on the border between France and Luxembourg.

The Tales of Zoufftgen came about almost by accident, through the stories I made up each evening for my son before he fell asleep.

They soon filled with the landscapes that have always surrounded me: the forests, the paths, the animals, the old trees… Then a small character appeared, and many others after him. Little by little a whole world took shape, deeply rooted in this place I love so much.

Today, each of my tales invites children to carry the story on into real life, by setting out to find the places that inspired it.

I am convinced that stories take on a particular quality when they let us look differently at the world around us. I like the thought that a simple forest path, an old oak or a forester’s house might now belong to the childhood memories of those who read my books.

Over the years, The Tales of Zoufftgen have also led me to meet a great many children, at storytelling sessions in schools, libraries and after-school centres. Those moments of exchange have become an essential part of my work. Seeing the stories go on living in children’s eyes is probably the finest reward an author can receive.

I also take great pleasure in imagining the illustrations, the documentary pages that extend each book, and the story objects that let families bring a little magic into their everyday lives.

I hope these stories will stay with the children who are discovering them today, and that one day, grown up, they will want to tell them in their turn. Because in the end, the finest stories are perhaps those that go on living long after the book has been closed.