Although it traces Germany’s often turbulent and violent times between WWI and modern times, Stasiland has, in essence, grown from Anna Funder’s own personal experience. She had experienced first-hand pre- and post-wall Berlin, and spends her time satisfying her curiosity about the unique history of the German people. As a form of creative non-fiction, Stasiland encompasses Funder’s experience as well as biographical and historical content. It draws on observations, interviews, dialogue and personal reflections to bind together the strings of a complex time.

The stories collected paint a portrait of a troubled time when a wall, placed overnight between East and West Berlin, symbolically represented the division in power, ideology and freedom of the nation. After the removal of that wall, Funder, through Stasiland, set out to answer a series of questions: Why did some follow orders and others resist? Was it better to remember the past or simply try to forget? What does it mean to be human in a seemingly inhumane world?

The finished result of the inquiry into these questions was met with mixed acceptance. Despite wining awards and general praise in Australia and the UK, over twenty publishers in Germany refused to publish the book. Some questioned what right an outsider had to criticise or draw inferences on their past. Eventually, the book was launched in Germany and Funder chose the Runden Ecke building, the former Stasi district headquarters in Leipzig, to unveil her stories.

Stasiland has since been published in over sixty countries and was shortlisted for many awards in the UK and Australia, including the Age Book of the Year Award 2003, the Guardian First Book Award 2003, the Index Freedom of Expression Award 2004, and the W H Heinemann Award 2004. In June 2004 it was awarded the Samuel Johnson Prize, and is now being developed for the stage by The National Theatre in London.