Born August 29, 1872, Edith Howes was a New Zealand teacher and eventually became a Headmistress. Being around children so much led her to write multiple stories and she became a prolific author. Her fairy tale collections included whimsical original stories of fairy folk.

Author Edith Howes, photographed by Celia Mary Dunlop, 1900s. Used under Creative Commons from Wikipedia.

Howes collected Maori legends in Maoriland Fairy Tales. In 1935, she became a Member of the Order of the British Empire and two years later, she received the King George VI Coronation Medal for her extensive work in literature. She passed away July 9, 1954 with over 10 books to her name.