Hatched

Meet Martha Grimstone, a girl trying to find her own special talent in the world, in this sweetly gothic fairytale told in a collage of words, photos and drawings.

Hello, my name is Martha Grimstone. Shall I tell you my best secret? One day I'm going to be Lady Martha the Magnificent. I don't know what my special talent is, but I hope to find it any day now. I live in a grand old house in a valley full of rare and precious herbs, which my grandfather uses to heal and comfort people. But they haven't worked on Mama; she cries a lake of tears every night. If only I could get into Grandpa Grimstone's apothecary and work my very own spell!

Hatched is a gothic fairytale about a girl who keeps her secrets safe between two pieces of cardboard, a mother who sews garments lined with love, and a giant egg that seems to take forever to hatch.

About The Author

Asphyxia is a circus performer turned puppeteer, and a writer. She is also deaf. Her name is unusual, but she is an unusual person! Asphyxia grew up in Melbourne surrounded by an unruly mob of brothers, sisters and cousins. As one of the eldest, she took it upon herself to direct everyone in elaborate games about witches, faeries, pixies, goblins and evil characters. She wrote her first book at twelve and entered it in the St Kilda Writers' Festival competition where it won first prize. Since then, she has been a ballerina, a circus performer, a puppeteer, and a creator of her own theatrical productions, where she tells stories physically and with sign language. The Grimstones - Hatched and Mortimer Revealed have toured around Australia and overseas to great acclaim.