About the book
The Tale of the Propeller Man is a British-Peruvian collaboration between three creatives. Written by Lizzie Shannon-Little and Gerard Lewis, based in Oxfordshire in the UK, and illustrated by Alexandra Ricketts, who lives in Lima, Peru.
The book began in the depths of lockdown, as Lizzie and Gerard - trapped at home with a small baby - entertained themselves by writing a collection of poems inspired by their own separate experiences as children reading Dr Heinrich Hoffman's creepy collection of cautionary tales Der Struwwelpeter.
As they wrote these poems, the dark illustrative style of their friend Alexandra Ricketts' work was always in their mind, having spied her drawings when visiting her and her family in Peru several years previously.
Luckily for them, the stories were right up Alex's street, and she created an illustration to accompany each poem, visualising the dasterdly ends of every child in the book.
In 2024, the trio launched a Crowdfunder to raise the funds to self-publish the book. Thanks to their wonderful supporters, they smashed their target!
The Child Who Lied or The Tale of the Propeller Man and other stories is out now!
Find out where we will be next for readings and events.
About the creators
Writer and artist
Lizzie Shannon-Little
Lizzie is an artist and writer who would like to run away to live as a bohemian creative obsessing over dark storytelling, folktales, myth, and all things witchy.
Writer and musician
Gerard Lewis
Gerard is a writer and musician who wrote tales that were deemed too dark even for this book. Get in touch if you would like to know more about ‘The Story of Little Parsley Long’ or ‘The Child Who Wouldn’t Hold His Father’s Hand’...
Illustrator
Alexandra Ricketts
Alex’s father was a painter and her mother’s nickname was ‘the witch’. She dresses in black and likes to draw strange and melancholic characters.