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TURNER, Ethel
Seven Little Australians.
Ward, Lock & Bowden, London, 1894. Octavo, frontispiece and two full-page plates, with numerous illustrations in the text; in original rust-coloured cloth decorated in gilt and black, endpapers sympathetically renewed; early ownership inscription on the dedication leaf, occasional light spotting and slight wear to the cloth binding, else very good. Rare: first edition of this icon of Australian children's literature set on the banks of the Parramatta River.
English-born Ethel Turner, who had been educated at Sydney Girls' High, wrote nearly forty books during her career but this, her first, remains her finest achievement. The opening chapter set the tone for the rest of the book and, indeed, Turner's philosophy, which proved so popular: 'Not one of the seven is really good, for the very excellent reason that Australian children never are'.
From this starting point, which acknowledged and celebrated Australian larrikinism and rebelliousness, Turner wrote a wholly original story for Australian children. By its very title, Seven Little Australians heralded a refreshing new era in Australian literature, in which local stories could unashamedly portray local conditions and local characters.
When Ethel Turner signed the original contract with publishers Ward and Lock which granted her £15 for the story and tuppence-halfpenny for each copy sold, she could not have dreamt what a success her story of Captain Woolcot and his seven mischievous children in the house named Misrule was to become. Seven Little Australians has been continuously in print for the past 110 years, selling over two million copies in the English language; it has been translated into eleven languages over some fifty editions; it has seen a film version, two television series, and performed regularly on stage.
This rare first edition is cornerstone of any collection of Australian children's books.
Miller, 663; Muir, 7457; People, Print & Paper, 201.
- AUD 3,500.00 > other currencies
- ordernr.: 412_443
- bookseller: Hordern House (AUSTRALIA)
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Hordern House (ANZAAB, ABA)
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