By Shirley Raye Redmond
When I told my writer friends I wanted to write a book about fairies, they warned me that it wouldn’t sell. “There are too many fairy books out there already,” I was warned. A quick perusal in the children’s section of all the local bookstores revealed a multitude of fairy titles. But still, I loved fairy tales when I was a child and wanted to write a fairy book.
So I did.
And Random House bought the manuscript. This one is a true story about fairies, and it’s aimed at early readers and not the picture book crowd. In fact, the Random House book catalog promotes the title as, “the only nonfiction look at fairies in this format.”
Savvy fairytale fans may wonder, “Is this about the famous Cottingley fairy photos?”Yes! And how Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the famous author of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries, fell for the girls’ photographic hoax hook, line and sinker. As elderly women, cousins Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths went on television in 1981 and confessed how they’d produced the famous photos that caused such a ruckus back in 1917.
I still love fairy tales. The Brothers Grimm compiled some of the most well known.
I really don't have a favorite fairy tale...as long as good wins, I'm happy. I remember reading about this years ago. I guess back in those days it was easier to fool people with fake photos.
ReplyDeleteI have always enjoyed BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Finding the inner beauty does appeal.
ReplyDeleteI had read about this famous hoax too.
I always loved Cinderella as a young girl but Beauty and the Beast shows young people that beauty has many appearances!
ReplyDeleteConnie
cps1950(at)gmail(dot)com
I liked Alice in Wonderland as a child, but Beauty and the Beast has a great message for young girls especially. marilynridgway78{at]gmail[dot]com
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