'This varied collection scratches the soil of the country to dig up some of the fairy tales and fantasies that have helped form the English identity.' Financial Times

Inspired by sites in the care of English Heritage, from the mythical Tintagel to mysterious Stonehenge, eight well-known contemporary authors have turned afresh to the legends of the past.

'In a wry, sly retelling of The Loathly Lady, King Arthur and Sir Gawain go on a quest to answer the question: "What do women want?" In the delicious These Our Monsters ... the villagers in ancient, "sensible" Bury St Edmunds list the monsters they don't have ... Meanwhile ... Burnet unpicks "The Dark Thread" that stitched together Bram Stoker's Dracula.' Daily Mail