2015 Rare First Edition - Tree Whispers, Illustrated by Charles van Sandwyk
Author: Charles van Sandwyk.
Title: Tree Whispers.
Publisher: North Vancouver, Savuti Press, 2015. First Edition. Printed offset in a limited edition of 600 copies.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 9" x 6.5".
Pages: Unpaginated (24 pages).
Binding: Fine and attractive original illustrated hand-sewn wrappers with French flaps, retaining the publisher's distinctive textured covers decorated with woodland imagery and an owl vignette to the front cover. Protected in a removable mylar cover.
Content: Fine content. Bright, fresh, and exceptionally clean throughout. A particularly well-preserved copy.
Illustrations: Complete with all the wonderful illustrations by Charles van Sandwyk, including numerous delicate color and monochrome drawings throughout, several full-page illustrations, and the two tissue-printed illustrations characteristic of this edition.
The book: Tree Whispers is one of Charles van Sandwyk's most enchanting modern fairy books, a lyrical meditation on the secret voices of the natural world. Through a sequence of poetic reflections and exquisite illustrations, van Sandwyk imagines ancient trees as living beings filled with memory, wisdom, and quiet conversation. Leaves become messengers, insects become musicians, and woodland spirits emerge from bark and branches to reveal a hidden realm that exists just beyond ordinary perception.
Produced by Savuti Press in a limited edition of only 600 copies, the book exemplifies van Sandwyk's remarkable ability to merge literature, illustration, and bookmaking into a unified work of art. Every detail, from the hand-sewn binding and textured papers to the delicate drawings and decorative typography, reflects the handcrafted spirit that has made his publications so desirable among collectors.
The imagery throughout is especially memorable, featuring expressive tree spirits, whimsical woodland creatures, and finely observed botanical details rendered with the elegance and imagination for which the artist is celebrated. The result is a book that feels less like a conventional publication and more like a treasured artifact from an enchanted forest.
Today, Tree Whispers ranks among the most sought-after Savuti Press productions and remains a favorite among collectors of modern private press books, fairy literature, and the works of Charles van Sandwyk.
The author and illustrator: Charles van Sandwyk is a Canadian artist, author, and illustrator renowned for his whimsical depictions of fairies, woodland creatures, and imagined worlds. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1966, he immigrated to Canada as a child and later settled in British Columbia, where the forests, wildlife, and coastal landscapes became enduring inspirations for his art.
Drawing influence from Arthur Rackham, Edmund Dulac, and the great illustrators of the Golden Age, van Sandwyk developed a highly distinctive style characterized by intricate pen work, delicate watercolor, and an abiding sense of wonder. His privately printed books and small-press productions have become especially prized among collectors for their craftsmanship, charm, and limited availability.