Background information about the book

Getting the right look

Making the ‘documents’

To the Boy in Berlin is a work of fiction but historical documents have been adapted to create a feeling of authenticity.

The book’s designer, Ruth Grüner, created diary entries and letters to look as though they were originals. Her father, Jörn Grüner, wrote in German the letters from Konrad Schmidt.

Heike’s real live friend Leo wrote the ‘postcard’ to Henni.

Ruth also created a newspaper clipping using material from the Age, 1910.

...and the cover

For the cover Elizabeth Honey painted two ‘sky’ scenes. One is the blue cloudy sky which appears on the front cover. The other is the sunset, in the colours of the German flag, which appears on the back cover. Elizabeth wanted to have Henni and Leo on the cover, and use bright colours and friendly type. Ruth Grüner tried a number of ideas before coming up with the final cover that you see on the book.

Here are a few...