Journey through tales that are startlingly modern yet rooted in ancient story telling traditions. From dark encounters with today's threats, to witty, mordant observations on the human condition, storytelling itself and timeless questions about how best to live, the authors update the folk tale, with several unusual twists. A foreword from one of our greatest story tellers, Philip Pullman, introduces writing from the Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy, professional tellers of tales and leading figures working at the cutting edge of issues ranging from climate change to reform of the banking system, local neighbourhood revival and a more humane drug policy. These are modern folk tales for a troubled world because, sometimes, the only way to get out of a terrible mess is by using your imagination. Dive in and read your way to a better place