France is classic fairy tale territory. Not just because it's where many of the most well-known and beloved fairy tales were first written down in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, or because it's where the term 'conte de fées' was invented. France, with its fascinating regional cultures, glorious castles, gorgeous countryside and tumultuous history, lives and breathes fairy tale in a uniquely powerful way. French Fairy Tales gathers five stories from different parts of France: some well-known, others newly translated into English. Full of adventure, magic, mystery and romance, with a light-hearted dash of humour and a sprinkling of surprise, these stories feature unforgettable characters: tragic shape-shifters, monstrous creatures, mischievous tricksters, witty youth ? and many different kinds of fairies! Chosen, translated and superbly retold by award-winning French-Australian writer Sophie Masson and enchantingly visualised by acclaimed illustrator Lorena Carrington, these stories will transport readers into the potently magical heart of the French fairy tale tradition. AGES: 10 plus AUTHOR: Born in Jakarta, Indonesia, of French parents, Sophie Masson came to Australia at the age of 5, after spending 4 years with her grandmother in France, due to illness striking when she was a baby in Indonesia. All her childhood, the family moved back and forth between Australia and France, unable to make up their minds as to where to live, so Sophie grew up between worlds, and between languages, an experience which has formed a lot of her work. A bilingual French and English speaker, she was educated in schools in both Australia and France, and has a BA and M.Litt in French and English Literature from the University of New England in northern NSW. In 2018 she successfully completed a PhD in creative practice, also at UNE, which was officially awarded in 2019. Lorena Carrington is a photographic artist and illustrator with an interest in lost and forgotten fairy tales. She exhibits widely, has work in national and international collections, and also runs workshops in art, illustration and the relationship between text and image. She grew up in a library and art studio so, after working as a photographer and practicing artist for nearly twenty years, creating books feels like coming home.
