Ernst Theodor Amadeus HoffmannErnst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (1776–1822) was born in Königsberg, Prussia (which is now Kaliningrad, Russia). He was educated in law, but his chief interest was music and as a young man moved to Germany hoping to begin a musical career; he wet on to work as a composer, director and orchestral conductor. He only turned seriously to writing during his thirties, as a way to supplement his income. With his four novels, and around fifty stories and novellas, he became one of the best-known and most admired and influential authors of his time. He is the subject and hero of Offenbach’s famous opera The Tales of Hoffmann and is regarded by many as a seminal figure in the field of fantasy for children. Read More Read Less