The Sunshine Coast constellation of creatives has a rising new star in Jayne McIntyre, debut author of The Feathers of Farwood and the Gripps Curse, which was launched with a flurry of excitement on Saturday 8 March in the beautiful Old Chambers Room at Caloundra Library.
With crafts for the children, Rosetta Books in attendance, and an array of delicious afternoon tea treats, family and friends gathered to celebrate with Jayne.
Home-schooled on K’gari, Jayne says she loved classic tales of magic and fairytale but often wondered why so few felt relatable to the Australian landscape.
Much of her childhood on the island was spent outdoors, exploring the bush and its animal inhabitants. She is also fascinated by the significance of owls across many cultures and traditional stories.
Marketer and journalist Jayne always hoped to write for children. Her manuscript was shortlisted for the now-defunct Text Prize, and publisher Rowena Beresford of Riveted Press quickly recognised its potential.
Set in a small town much like many across Australia, the story follows Eva Feather, who moves into a long-empty house with her mother and two sisters. The family carries a secret they are desperate to hide—because who knows when the Hunters might appear? Many in Eva’s world have been affected by the Gripps, a mysterious condition that turns people into animals, some never able to return to human form. It’s magical realism at its best.
With two more books planned in the series, young readers will be keen to follow the adventure further.
Now available in all your favourite bookshops, The Feathers of Farwood and the Gripps Curse is an exciting adventure for readers aged around nine and up.
