This wonderful anthology of stories from all over the world was launched at The Edinburgh Bookshop, an early celebration for International Women’s Day. Author Lari Don explained that she had always disliked the way girls and women were so often reduced to bit parts in traditional tales – passive onlookers only there to be saved and married off, and rarely the hero wielding weapons to astonishing effect.
So she set about putting that situation right – reading and researching, telling all possible stories to children in schools and libraries to ensure they hit the mark. Fierce, Fearless and Free is a follow-up to Girls, Goddesses and Giants – Lari Don’s first anthology in which girls do the heavy lifting and smart thinking. And it’s another cracker!
At the launch Lari Don retold the Siberian story from her collection – Altyn Aryg and the Snake’s Belly – and was then subjected to a barrage of questions from the many children at the party.
Unfortunately Eilidh Muldoon couldn’t be at the launch party. In keeping with the extraordinary things Lari’s heroines achieve in the stories, she has just had a baby girl. But her ears must have been burning – everybody loves her cover illustration and the internal illustrations for each of the stories.
This one accompanies Nana Miriam and the Hungry Hippo, a legend from Nigeria.
And what a hippo…
Copies of Fierce, Fearless and Free (published by Bloomsbury) are available from all good bookshops and libraries, or you can order it online here.
