Many years ago when I was working for an Arts Centre I saw some of Annie’s work and wrote to ask her if she would mind my writing some fairy stories, each one inspired by one of her paintings. Initially there were six in the collection but that is now eleven and the book The Exalted Gate with a cover also by Annie will be published in a month.
I have been told the paintings are beautiful (and one editor wished the writing were better) though that never stopped the idea of the book being stolen by a publishing house (as is there corrupt way.)
The stories were to be no more than one thousand words each and have a modern lilt about them. They are enjoyable and will make good reading exercises for young children. Annie’s work is always expressive but her nature paintings are lustrous and beautiful filled with surprises and a barely suppressed joy. Even her bare trees show the beauty of the form and none of the chill of winter (my nephew Jay Shah has three of them proudly exhibiting on his wall.)
The book of stories and paintings will be in full colour and around one hundred pages, price is yet to be decided but as with all these things it should be slightly cheaper than comparable work.