Wendy the Whale

The story of Wendy the Whale is a collaboration between David Abraham, who grew up in Hermanus, South Africa, where the story is set, and Alexander Williams, a teacher and playwright. Based on oral history from the 1930s by an elderly fisherman, David managed to verify details of the story through friends in Hermanus, and committed the wonderful story to the page to be enjoyed by children and adults all over the world.

The twelve illustrations by Lucy Newton, an artist from Edinburgh, bring an vitality to the story through their richness and detail.

Today Hermanus is known as the Whale Capital of the World. It is the best place to watch whales from land or from which to go out on the water to see them. The most common whales there are the Southern Right, though two other species can be sighted: the Bryde’s whale and the Humpback whale. Hermanus is proud of its whale-crier, a tradition that dates back to 1991. The whale-crier uses a kelp bugle to let everyone within hearing distance know that the whales have returned home again.

Alexander Williams is a singer, writer, teacher, actor and director. He hosts the popular Dial Up Open Mic events, which celebrate community and creativity in all their forms. Twice part of The Royal Court’s Young Writer’s groups, he was selected by Penguin Books to attend WriteNow 2016, an event aimed at increasing diversity in publishing. Books include: children’s book Wendy the Whale (Wynstone’s Press 2011); poetry collection Black Iris (Lulu 2014); young adult novel His Hidden Wings (TSL Books 2018); Little Willy: The Complete Works of Shakespeare in Limerick Form (KDP 2021); Secular Verses (KDP 2021); Where We Find Ourselves (Arachne Press 2021). Plays include Thyestes (KDP 2021); Ophelia (Old Red Lion 2009); Dinner and a Doughnut (Scriptspace 2012); One Day on the Train (Southwark Playhouse 2012); Stronger (Talawa Hotspots 2012); Ten Dates (London Improv Theatre 2017); Gust (Pen Fed Festival 2017); Angelique (Shaw Theatre 2019); and The Lost Children, a musical for schools. In 2021, Alexander was in the Question Time 50, regularly contributing to the BBC’s flagship political debate show. He’s resident poet for Humanistically Speaking Magazine, resident reviewer for the Watford Fringe Festival, and was a finalist in the Watford Audentior Awards 2022.