contents

Letter from the editorsMarina Warner has said metamorphosis defines the fairy taleand in this issue several of our tales and poems centre ontransformation: a baby is carved from ice; a giant sheds hisskin; a girl’s new form enables her to escape oppression. Itis the possibility of transformation, of one thing becominganother, that gives even the darkest fairy tale a spark ofhope.The fairy tale form itself has undergone manytransformations, from oral tales told by the fireside toliterary tales written and rewritten and retold and reinventedin many different ways. As Maria Tatar said recently: ‘theyare always changing’. And we’re about to undergo atransformation here at New Fairy Tales. We will still bepublishing online, but in new and varied ways. Our bi-annualmagazine will be replaced by a series of electronicchapbooks, published on a quarterly basis: some will beopen to submissions, others will be by invitation.There will be no change in our enthusiasm for bringingtogether good writing and beautiful illustrations, but we’rekeen to explore new mediums and innovative ways ofworking. So, whatever changes we bring about, we hopeyou’ll join us in our continuing exploration of the potentialand possibilities of new fairy tales.Claire, Andy, Anna and FayeNovember 2010‘The Procession’ by Nom KinnearkingIssue 6 www.newfairytales.co.uk - 3 -