Humans of Berkeley – Marie Lueck

Even as a child, I liked to make sense of the world through stories. Whether it was fantastic fairy tales, imaginary adventures, or simply the made-up stories my uncle told me – they didn’t just entertain me, they also sparked my curiosity about new worlds, people, and experiences. That curiosity has stayed with me ever since.

From Childhood Tales to Cover Stories

I believe stories play a big role in every childhood – for me, it was mainly the discovery of magical worlds, eerie creatures, and adventures. I was especially fascinated by the old Soviet fairy tales with Baba Yaga (a figure from Slavic folklore and mythology, often portrayed as a witch) or the sailor’s yarns of Captain Blaubär (German children’s TV character – an old blue bear who tells wild and exaggerated adventure stories). And then there was my uncle: every time we met, he would invent new stories for me. Since we didn’t see each other often, the anticipation for the next adventures was all the greater.

Later, my search for exciting stories continued during my studies. While doing my Bachelor’s degree, I interned at the Budapester Zeitung in Budapest. It was incredibly exciting to talk to interesting people, interview them, and put their stories into writing. With some success, too: during my three-month internship, I set myself the goal of making it onto the front page at least once. That wasn’t easy with so much good content around, but with one of my interviews – about a German glass artist who had moved to Hungary for love – I actually did it.

A New Path

After completing my Bachelor’s degree in German and English Studies, followed by a Master’s in Publishing Practice, I had a clear plan: I wanted to become an editor. The image of a successful editor – as Woody Allen had portrayed in Manhattan Murder Mystery – stuck with me. My dream was to sit at a huge desk in a house by the sea, sifting through piles of manuscripts and discussing stories.

But during my Master’s program, Berkeley came into play – and the special role storytelling has here immediately caught my attention. So instead of a publishing house, I chose a traineeship at a PR agency. Admittedly, at first I imagined the PR world to be extremely stressful: constantly running from one meeting to the next, handling crises, and juggling multiple projects. And yes, that does happen. But daily life also involves organization, close contact with journalists, and developing tailored PR strategies. What makes Berkeley special is that our strategies are always built around stories – crafted using our own storytelling formula. From the very beginning, that fascinated me and convinced me that storytelling will always play an important role in my professional life.

Favourite storyteller? Woody Allen and Guy Ritchie.

Karaoke song? I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor – my absolute go-to song. It always works, puts everyone in a good mood, and everyone sings along.

Most used app? Instagram.