© Mairi Hedderwick
An exhibition of illustrations by Mairi Hedderwick for her popular series of children’s books – Katie Morag. The exhibition contains original jacket covers and storyboard examples of how illustration and text were put together.
Mairi Hedderwick, illustrator and captivating storyteller, is best known for the 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”. 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.
7 January – 18 February 2023
Small Art Gallery
