Children’s book spreads its wings

A CHILDREN’S book written by local author Lauren Mitchell and illustrated by collaborator Geoff Hocking has been earmarked for international distribution via Nottingham charity The Bendigo Heritage Project.

Go’Bendy’Go tells the little-known tale of how the city came to be named after a 19th century Nottingham boxer, William ‘Bendigo’ Thompson, with The Heritage Project choosing to dispense copies of the historical hardcover title to every primary school in the English shire.

The book will now be available to tens of thousands of children in the place of origin of Mr Thompson.

“We always hoped our book would spark an interest in goldfields history for locals, young and young-at-heart,” Mitchell said.

“Now it has a further purpose of sharing the story in its birthplace, and in turn promoting the unique connection between Nottingham and our home city of Bendigo.”

Bendigo Heritage Project chair Alan Dawson said the group had many followers across Australia, with a number of them alerting him to the book’s existence.

“So, we got in touch with the people behind it,” he said.

“There’s an irony to the Bendigo story in that whilst he never actually travelled to Australia, his name did.

“Another irony is that whilst many books have been written about him, the first one written for children was published in Bendigo, Australia and not Nottingham, England.

“This initiative for us to distribute the books will take the Bendigo story to a new generation and hopefully get our school children to pick (it) up and learn about our sporting history in an entertaining way.”

Go’Bendy’Go can be purchased at independently owned bookstore Bookish in Hargreaves Street.