A rare piece of May Gibbs history to be published in Australia for the first time – Mamie and Wag

Over 100 years ago – long before the adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, iconic Australian author and illustrator May Gibbs wrote a story of a lost little girl and her dog.

Originally released in the United Kingdom in 1912 under the title About Us, the story of ‘Mamie and Wag’ was May Gibbs’ first foray into writing and illustrating as a published author, and it is now being published in Australia for the first time ever.

Mamie was a dear, nice little girl, and she had a funny little dog.

When Mamie gets separated from her little dog Wag, she is determined to reunite with him.

But before she can, Mamie must make her way through the mysterious Chimney Pot Land.

Meanwhile, poor little Wag is on his own adventure while looking for his beloved Mamie.

Information from: At home with May Gibbs, catalogue of an exhibition at State Library of New South Wales, 1990.

‘Mimie and Wog [Wag]’, one of May Gibbs’ early manuscripts, was written in Australia under the pseudonym Silvia Hood. Rejected by British publishers as too Australian, she rewrote the story in an English setting.

 ‘Mimie’ was renamed ‘Mamie’ – May’s own childhood name – and transported from the Australian bush into London’s Chimney Pot Land. Published as ‘About Us’ in 1912, May Gibbs’ first book was released in England but never published in Australia. 

https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/collection-items/series-01-box-08-item-19-may-gibbs-unpublished-works-mimie-and-wog-1910

The first Australian hardback edition is published by Scholastic Australia and is available from https://shop.scholastic.com.au and booksellers nationally RRP: $19.99