by Alan Garner
First published 2002
This collection brings together folklore from England and Wales in 22 carefully chosen tales. Garner draws from traditional stories featuring boggarts that lurk in dark corners and gowks that play tricks on the unwary. Hobgoblins dance through these pages alongside fools who stumble into magic they cannot understand. Each story carries the weight of generations who told these tales before they were written down. Patrick Lynch's black and white illustrations complement each narrative, capturing the spirit of creatures both strange and wonderful. The collection serves as a treasury of British folklore, preserving stories that might otherwise fade from memory. These tales speak to the enduring power of oral tradition and the creatures that have populated the British imagination for centuries.
Genres: short-stories, fantasy, fairy-tales, folklore
Vibes: atmospheric, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: found-family, magical-creatures
Setting: England, Wales
Period: 20th-century
142 pages · Paperback · Collins Voyager