Arguably the greatest children’s book ever written in Australia is celebrating its centenary this year.
The great man of arts and letters, Norman Lindsay, called his book The Magic Pudding a “little bundle of piffle” but his book of nonsense about the adventures of a gravy voiced, grumbling, never ending pudding called Albert that is being pursued by “puddin thieves”, has been savoured for generations.
Lindsay wrote it from his bush home in Faulconbridge as a much needed antidote to the horrors of war and also to settle a bet “on a fiver” with his friend Bertram Stevens from Art in Australia Magazine, who believed children wanted to read about fairies, whereas Lindsay said they were more interested in their stomachs and liked to read about food.
First published in 1918, The Magic Pudding is still in print and has been translated into Japanese, German, French, Portuguese and Spanish as well as having been published in Britain and the United States. It is regarded as a classic of children's literature.
The uniquely Australian whimsical tale continues to enchant because of its language, said gallery co-director Amanda Trevillion. She particularly loves the books “insults”.
“That’s what I like most about the book. When the Swagman Parrot has the insolence to laugh in Bill Barnacle’s face and Bill says: ‘’Of all the swivel-eyed, up-jumped, cross-grained, sons of a cock-eyed tinker’’ or when Bill Barnacle tries unsuccessfully, to question the bandicoot running past with a huge watermelon, and says “You’re a poltroon ... a slaverin’, quaverin’, melon-carryin’ nincompoop. There’s no more chance of getting information out of you than out of a terrified Turnip”.
Official pudding celebrations will be marked with a family fun Pudding Day on October 14. The day will include old fashioned games and entertainment like egg and spoon and sack races, prizes for best costumes, bush ballads, craft, bushwalks and the famous pudding hunt.“All the things families used to enjoy years ago,” Ms Trevillion said. Magic Pudding characters will entertain the kids on the day and there will be readings from the book.
Ms Trevillion said the gallery will also host a Festival of Children’s Literature at the Norman Lindsay Gallery on September 15-16. There has not been a childrens’ festival in the gallery grounds in five years. Australian Children’s Laureate Morris Gleitzman and a host of other authors and illustrators will attend. Magic Pudding characters will entertain the kids on the day and there will be readings from the book.
“All the things people used to do years and years ago,” Ms Trevillion said.
The Magic Pudding book was quite a contrast to his war-time propaganda. Ms Trevillion believes Lindsay may have felt a certain amount of guilt for his posters that encouraged young Australian men to enlist in World War One, after his beloved brother died at the Somme.
She suggested that The Magic Pudding may have been a welcome diversion as something light hearted and full of hope.
A special 100th anniversary edition of the book will be released by Lindsay’s publishers Harper Collins this year.
In addition the gallery will host a special 100 years of The Magic Pudding exhibition from September. On display will be Magic Pudding puppets and models, photographs, various book editions and other pudding ephemera.
“The exhibition will show the appeal of Albert the Magic Pudding through the generations, and even cartoons showing the way the phrase ‘A Magic Pudding’ is used in modern day language especially by politicians” she said.
“Lindsay never took it seriously though, writing for children was simply a new challenge.
“Children still enjoy it today because it’s rollicking, it’s rude and it’s funny. There are a lot of insults, with thieves stealing the pudding, but the whole concept of a pudding that can be turned around and with a whistle change from a steak and kidney pie to an apple dumpling was magic.”
The artist’s granddaughter, Helen Glad, spoke of the book’s enduring charm to the Sydney Morning Herald recently.
“The book’s never been out of print. For a publisher, it’s a bit like the magic pudding itself; it just keeps coming and coming.”
