Author:
Maggie May Gordon was born and raised in Sydney. She commenced writing when she married and moved to a property on the western plains of NSW which she found very conducive to writing about the characters, flora and fauna of the Australian bush. An award-winning poet, her verses have been widely published and used in eisteddfod and radio presentations. Her lyrics have been performed on stage and television. Maggie is the original author & lyricist of Eureka! the Musical (Her Majesty’s, Melbourne 2004) which was nominated for Best Musical in the Robert Helpmann Awards for Australian Theatre 2005. A Little Bush Elf is Maggie’s 11th Little Steps title.
Illustrator:
ERIC KUIPER grew up in New Zealand surrounded by the beauty of its bushland flora & fauna which instilled a lifelong love of nature. He was Inspired by the pastel & charcoal art of his grandfather and his mother, a talented artist, potter, weaver & woodcarver, who were both, like Eric, self taught. He was also inspired by artists such as Walt Disney, Ralph Steadman, Heath Robinson, Georges Proaper Remi (known by pen name ‘Herge’) and M.C. Escher. On moving to Australia, Eric became fascinated by its unique flora and fauna. Experimenting in other art mediums, he found pencil superior for his finely detailed illustrations. Eric’s collaboration with Australian poet Maggie May Gordon (A Little Bush Fairy, The Gums’ Adventures Across A Wide Brown Land, A Little Bush Elf) has seen his art develop further and his cards ‘True Blue Mates’ have been much in demand. Eric is the recipient of the 2026 International Juried Art Award and he is featured in Arts Closeup Magazine 2026. Facebook: Pickled Herring Productions
