NCBF05
Gala Day: Gateshead Civic Centre, Saturday November 19th
Mairi Hedderwick, illustrator and captivating storyteller, is best known for her Katie Morag children’s stories. The first of the Katie Morag books, Katie Morag Delivers the Mail was published in 1984 and, to Mairi’s surprise, was taken up as an excellent example of non-sexist children’s fiction, mainly because of the tractor-fixing, dungaree-wearing Grannie. ‘I wasn’t thinking of that at all. I’m used to women driving tractors; I did it regularly myself whilst living on the island’. But Grannie became a central character of the books, and the inspiration for her second book, Katie Morag and the Two Grandmothers.
The content for most of the Katie Morag books is loosely based on Mairi’s own experiences: Katie’s toys are those of her own children, Granny Island’s Rayburn stove was Mairi’s own, and the episode where Katie Morag throws her teddy into the sea is something Mairi admits doing herself – twice! As an adult!
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| Katie Morag and The Birthdays Bodley Head ISBN:0370328507 |
Katie Morag's Island Stories Red Fox ISBN:0099438569 |
Katie Morag Delivers the Mail Red Fox ISBN:0099220725 |
There are now a number of Katie Morag stories available including; Katie Morag and the New Pier; Katie Morag and the Wedding; Katie Morag and the Grand Concert; The Second Katie Morag Storybook, Katie Morag and the Riddles and Katie Morag’s Rainy Day Book, a bumper collection of activities, puzzles and things to make and do. More Katie Morag Island Stories, published in March 2004 is available now in paperback.
Mairi’s latest book, Katie Morag and the Birthdays, was published in March 2005. This is a brand new gift book which sees every character on the island celebrate their birthday!
As well as Katie Morag, Mairi has also created two stories about the mischievous character Peedie Pebbles. The second Peedie Pebbles story Oh No Peedie Pebbles, is now available in paperback and tells how little Peedie Peebles, turns the family’s new home into a riot of colour as he tries a spot of painting!
Mairi was born in Gourock, Scotland in 1939. At the age of 17 she took a job as a mother’s help on the island of Coll in the Hebrides. There began a life-long love affair with islands and small communities bounded by the sea.
She studied at Edinburgh College of Art and then taught for a few years before moving to the Isle of Coll in the early ‘60s with her husband and young family. There, in a house with no electricity, water only available from a well, and a two mile walk to the nearest neighbour, she began illustrating for other authors. As writer and illustrator, the Katie Morag books are based on her life there at that time.
As well as writing and illustrating children’s books Mairi writes and illustrates travel books for adults. She spends a lot of time visiting schools and is always accompanied by Katie Morag’s teddy who travels with her in a black bag.
Publisher
Random House