Hieroglyphics Form Basis of Writer’s Tale

Tamara Bower has been fascinated with ancient Egypt since she was a child growing up in Los Angeles and drew hieroglyphics on her school notebooks.

Since then, she’s studied fine art at Cal State Long Beach and at UC Irvine. She was trained in archeological illustration in the Egyptian Department of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and later made illustrations for the Egyptian Department at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. She has traveled to Egypt to work on excavations in Abydos.

Now Bower has written and illustrated her first book, “The Shipwrecked Sailor: An Egyptian Tale With Hieroglyphs.” It is the story of a voyage on the Red Sea to a mysterious, enchanted land of riches south of Egypt and is based on a tale found on a papyrus scroll of hieroglyphs from the 19th century BC.

Bower will discuss her work as an archeological illustrator, show slides of her excavations in Egypt, and read and sign her book at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Bowers Museum of Cultural Art, 2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana. She also will present her 90-minute program at the museum at 2 p.m. Thursday and again Jan. 21.

Bower’s program, which is part of the museum’s Egyptian Treasures lecture series, is suitable for ages 6 to 12. Admission is free for children younger than 12, $5 for Bowers members, $8 for nonmembers. (714) 567-3600.

Also Coming Up

* Barbara DeMarco Barrett’s interview on “Writers on Writing” with Debra Ginsberg (“Waiting: The True Confessions of a Waitress”) and Earlene Fowler (“Seven Sisters”) will be broadcast on KUCI (88.9 FM) in Irvine. 5 p.m. Thursday.

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Send information about book-related events at least 10 days before the event to: Dennis McLellan, O.C. Books & Authors, The Times’ Orange County edition, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Or e-mail to dennis.mclellan@latimes.com.