THE FAIRY TELLERS

A history of fairy tales through the lives of their creators

Author: Nicholas Jubber Publisher: John Murray Price: £12.99 Released: Out now

From the very first page of The Fairy Tellers, Nicholas Jubber’s love of fairy tales is evident. The passion with which he recalls reading countless stories as a child sets the scene for a journey through the lives of some of the most prolific and influential figures who shared in this fervour for the fantastical.

The book highlights the connections between story-telling around the world, and does so by splitting each section by historic fairy-teller. Starting in Naples with an author who is credited with the first version of Cinderella and ending with a mysterious Indian poet, Jubber expertly moves between time and place to tell the stories of those who created some of the world’s favourite tales. Uncovering the astounding lives of these fairy tale architects, Jubber shows how each was influenced by the social and political circumstances in which they found themselves when weaving their stories, and how each took inspiration from the fairy-tellers who came before them.

Jubber’s descriptive style in The Fairy Tellers, though sometimes lengthy, transports the reader into the lives of the unlikely tellers and gives credit to those whose stories have long since been attributed to others. From Dortchen Wild, the wife of Wilhelm Grimm, to Hanna Dyab, a Syrian traveller at the court of Louis

XIV of France, Jubber ensures the extraordinary lives of the forgotten fairy tale originators are remembered for their contributions to the stories and journeys that are still loved by millions today. Readers will not be disappointed to be whisked away on adventures as exciting as the fairy tales themselves.