Timbertwig
Timbertwig began life as a face, looking back at me from a piece of knotty wood, and went on to be my most enduring and loved creation. His first public appearance was in Story Teller magazine, published fortnightly by Marshall Cavendish and narrated by George Layton . His adventures spread across the globe, as children delighted in the mischievous adventures of Tirondin, Bastoncello, Palintroque and many other translations.
The tales of Timbertwig, his magical spider Abigail, and the antics of bumbling Granny Knot, add up to a series of tales set in Wiggly Wood, that I'm delighted to say are still amusing and entertaining readers young and old.
In 2016, his latest adventures were published in South Africa by Human & Rousseau, both in English and Afrikaans, and went on to be nominated as a finalist for the prestigious MER Prize for illustrated children's fiction.
In 2020, the latest tale, Timbertwig and the Dancing Dress, will be unveiled in a special Story Teller Members Edition.
Timbertwig's New Adventures is a
96 page book containing four new stories and 100 full colour illustrations.
An unabridged audio cd is included.
Available through all good book sellers or email peetellison@hotmail.com
A brief history
Timbertwig was 'discovered' when I noticed the patterns on some wood. The shape of the grain became the inspiration for the tall pointy hats, while the knots suggested eyes.
The name Timbertwig was the family nickname for my brother David, and it just seemed to be the perfect fit for the character.
As for Granny Knot, well hopefully the name is obvious, but I think the British love of word play was sometimes lost in translation.
Her beautiful 'runny' nose was also inspired by the shape of the grain.
Abigail the magical spider came later, but in the early illustrations below, you can see Timbertwig already developing a friendship with an eight legged companion.
'We're on the telly!'
Granny Knot first appeared, in all her 3m tall glory, on national TV, seen here arriving at Granada Studios in Manchester
My first attempt at digital illustration. Having started with the traditional materials of pencil and paint, I soon learned to adapt my style, and haven't looked back!
An early sketch and the final
design for the Christmas greeting
for the various international
Facebook groups.
Copyright ©1980-2020 Peet Ellison
