Save the Story at Daunt Books Marylebone

Lovers of literature simply must head to Daunt Books Marylebone High Street on 26 October, where they can hear two renowned authors talk about their latest releases for children.

The Scottish-born writer Ali Smith and the master of satire Jonathan Coe will be introducing the The Story of Antigone and The Story of Gulliver respectively. Aimed at younger readers, these books and are both due for release on 24 October as part of the Save the Story series. This collection of ten titles, due to be published by Pushkin Children’s Books over 2013 and 2014, seeks to update and reinvigorate time-honoured tales from across the globe for a younger generation, in the hope that they will not be forgotten.

The Save the Story series has attracted the involvement of a distinguished and international selection of contemporary writers, including Dave Eggers, Umberto Eco, Yiyun Li, and of course, Smith and Coe, all of whom have undertaken the task of re-telling classic stories, which collectively span a great range of different cultures, time periods and genres.

Smith’s The Story of Antigone, with its beautiful illustrations by Laura Paoletti, tackles the powerful ancient Greek tragedy in a simple and compelling way. Meanwhile, Coe’s re-telling of The Story of Gulliver, originally by the eighteenth-century Anglo-Irish writer Jonathan Swift, maintains the humour of the great satirical fantasy, but is a lot more accessible to children of today. We also love its bright and punchy illustrations by Sara Oddi, that really bring the text to life.

This opportunity to heart he authors discuss their work is not to be missed, and presents a wonderful chance to inspire and engage young readers.

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