-
-
Writer:-Valerie Everett, Katharine Susannah Prichard Writers Centre
Western Australia
FAIRYTALE FASCINATION
Peeping
over slender
sage-green fingers
whimsical creatures
tickled and teased
the extraordinary talent
of a creative genius
who sketched her imaginings
into exquisite tales
a magical world
of bush make-believe
seamlessly
crafting
a new folklore
free from old-world fantasy or fable
but in blossoms conceived
and gumnuts born
adorable fairies
intricately
adorned
with native flowerings
their finest couture
ethereal
pebble-eyed
bare-bottomed
Bush Babies
intimately
narrated
in enchanting adventures
with Bush Folk friends
meticulously
polished and preened to perfection
famed fairytales
books bestowed
of timeless fascination
quintessentially
Australian
Cecilia May Gibbs MBE (1877-1969) is one of Australia’s most treasured creators. Born in England, she migrated to Australia at the age of four with her family, and grew up in Western Australia, describing her two years at Harvey as the happiest in her life. Cecilia, or May, as she preferred, trained as an artist in Perth and London, before settling in Sydney, New South Wales. An exceptional artist and story-teller, May drew inspiration from the Australian bush she loved, to create the unique Australian fairytales that made her famous. Her first book, Gumnut Babies was published in 1916, and her most well-known work, Tales of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie was released in 1918. One hundred years later, this beloved book has never been out of print. In 2018, celebrations took place across Australia to commemorate the centenary of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, and the national icon that is May Gibbs.