Patricia Wrightson (1921 - 2010) wrote a range of books for children and is best known for her Magic Realism novels which draw on Aboriginal folklore, something unusual at the time. This obituary gives an overview of her work and some key events in her life. This has more information about her life. It has interesting bits about her desire to connect her readers with Australia and its heritage and talks about that being something her childhood reading lacked. I particularly like this quote from her about the simplicity of magic: "Magic belongs to simple people, and is shaped by the things that simple people know: the places where they live and the lives they lead. It fits the scene where it was made."