Women's Nook
Imagine this. Sitting on a camp stool, surrounded by aboriginal bark paintings, some of bees. You’re listening to Grace Pundyk, pictured, telling you about her ‘trail of ancient honey, vanishing bees and the politics of liquid gold.’ You feel transported to a campsite in the bush, trees all around, listening to a yarn.
This was how I felt, sitting in the Museum of Modern Art in The Rocks, at the 2008 Sydney Writer’s Festival, listening to Grace talk about her journeys with honey. I went to the talk out of curiosity because I have been besotted with bees since I was a little girl. After 50 minutes, the talk was over but I wanted to hear more. I had to read the book.
The Honey Spinner is described as a travel memoir. Grace goes to Yemen, New Zealand, Borneo, Russia, United Kingdom, Italy, Turkey, The United States, China and Australia in her search for honey. She leads us along amazing trails, talking to local beekeepers, observing other cultures and coming up with interesting insights into the world of bees, their hives and the international business of selling honey. There is so much more to it than you could imagine. I was quite shocked by some of the information.
You will discover that bees have been revered by many cultures for millennia as symbols of power, order, magic and truth. Napoleon and Josephine had the bee as their imperial symbol. Hives are the ultimate female compound, ruled by the queen bee, and containing her many thousands of female workers. Bees, and their survival, reflect our own environmental dilemmas as they face drought, disease and habitat degradation. Bees are responsible for the pollination of many of our food crops. Our futures are inextricably linked.
When you next look at that jar of honey on the shelf, take a moment to ask: How many bees did it take to produce this honey? Where has the honey really come from? Is it a blend of honey from different countries, even though the label says ‘product of Australia’? Is it pure?
I am constantly amazed at how one thing leads to another and so it is with this story. Since I first heard Grace speak in May I have had little things pop up that keep adding to the tale. Over the next few weeks I will be doing some honey hunting of my own. Watch out for an interview with Grace, a few special recipes and a great story about urban bees.
Buy the book here:
Print This Page
Send to a friend
Change Text Size
RSS Feed