While writing her latest book, a reimagining of the story of Cordelia, Alexandra Walsh was struck by the way some figures reappear in different tales through the ages. Why, she wondered, do we tell and retell these stories? So she set about finding Cordelia. Towards the end of my new novel Daughter of the Stones, my […]
The Twelve by Liz Hyder
At the stroke of midnight on winter solstice, Libby disappears – vanishing from the face of the Earth. Only her older sister, Kit, and a mysterious boy named Story remember that she ever existed. To find Libby and bring her safely home, the pair must embark on a perilous journey into the distant past, across […]
The magic of full moons
Kate Griffin explores the lore of full moons and explains why she chose moon magic to deepen the character of Marta, the protagonist of her latest novel, Fyneshade. Writing is a strange and solitary activity. Locked in their dens (or in my case chained to the kitchen table), most authors feel that they are howling […]
The Fairy Tellers by Nicholas Jubber
Who were the Fairy Tellers? In this far-ranging quest, award-winning author Nicholas Jubber unearths the lives of the dreamers who made our most beloved fairy tales: inventors, thieves, rebels and forgotten geniuses who gave us classic tales such as Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, Beauty and the Beast and Baba Yaga. From the Middle Ages to […]
The Fairy (tale) Godfather
Where did our fairy tales come from? Nicholas Jubber set out to find the story behind the stories and found himself “bewitched” by one collector, a 17th-century poet and soldier who preserved the earliest-known versions of so many of our best-loved fables that he surely deserves the title of Fairy (tale) Godfather. These are tales […]
Christmas reading 2021 – the best historical books
We asked eight authors to each recommend a historical book they’d love to receive for Christmas 2021, and one they would give as a Christmas gift. They include many of the best books published this year. We hope these suggestions inspire you, whether you’re looking for ideas for presents or planning to curl up in […]