Hembury Books Publishes Fiction And Non-Fiction Books.
Rawdon Slater
Born in the late 1950s, Rawdon Slater grew up in a small village in rural Suffolk, England.
Rawdon’s earliest memories are of collecting chicken eggs and wandering around his grandparents’ back garden. Curious, restless and difficult to manage, he painted and scribbled on everything from books to furniture and even the walls.
Training initially as a hairdresser and working in various London salons, through which he learnt the art of wig dressing, Rawdon went on to work at the National Theatre and on West End shows for over twenty years.
Upon first visiting Australia, Rawdon fell in love with the country and began planning his immigration. A few years later, in the early 2000s, he stood in the Grand Hall at the Brisbane Convention Centre to become an Australian citizen. Here he received a native lemon myrtle plant only to find it had been eaten by a possum overnight.
Rawdon now lives in Brisbane with his husband and their little white dog Charlie. He has inherited his grandmother’s gardening gene.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rawdon discovered old family photographs which inspired him to write about his maternal grandparents, a project that evolved into his book, Essie B.
Essie B.
by Rawdon Slater
Here is a gateway to another time and another world, for just a little while, if you choose to take it.
Set against the whimsical backdrop of the 1960s, this heartwarming story follows two young grandchildren and their devoted grandparents, Ess and Bill, through both the mundane and the fantastical. Viewed through the eyes of an overindulged child, Essie B captures the cozy comforts of a bygone era; there’s a Mark 1 Ford Cortina and a space-age food mixer.
Yet, life in this English village is far from ordinary. Beneath the routines of gardening and herding escaping chickens lies genuine magic. Sparked by mysterious green flashes, the family is periodically transported into impossible adventures – from dancing through a sepia-toned ballroom to taking a high-flying rollercoaster ride inside their family car.
In this unexpected seaside excursion, every moment brims with wonder. Listen to the wind and rhythm of the sea as you question what could possibly come next.
This love letter to a small boy’s grandparents delights with the whimsical magic of an English summer long ago.
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