Kamila Shamsie, Laura Barrett (Illustrator)

Duckling

A Fairy Tale Revolution

Summary

Kamila Shamsie retells 'The Ugly Duckling'. A Fairy Tale Revolution is here to remix and revive our favourite stories.

'A duck unlike other ducks. A raincloud-duck, with the heart of a lion, who struck out into the world on her own...'

On the farm, some eggs are hatching. A flock of sweet ducklings are popping out. But one duckling looks different from all the others...

Cast out and all alone, this odd duckling will need all her bravery and curiosity to survive. Her journey is a search for belonging, but what she finds is the right to be different.

Reviews

Duckling, written in a clear, poetic voice reminiscent of Wilde's Happy Prince, is at times almost painfully affecting...but brimming over, too, with heart and courage
Imogen Russell Williams, Times Literary Supplement

About the authors

Kamila Shamsie

Kamila Shamsie is the author of six novels including Home Fire which was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2017, shortlisted for the Costa Best Novel Award, the Books Are My Bag Readers Awards 2018, and the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature, and won the London Hellenic Prize and the Women's Prize for Fiction 2018. Three of her novels have received awards from Pakistan's Academy of Letters. Kamila Shamsie is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and was named a Granta Best of Young British Novelists in 2013; she was also awarded a South Bank Arts Award in 2018. She grew up in Karachi and now lives in London.

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Laura Barrett (Illustrator)

Laura Barrett is an illustrator inspired by the darker side of folk and fairy tales, and enjoys working in the medium of traditional Scherenschnitte (paper cutting). Since graduating from University of the Arts London and with over 10 years of industry experience, Laura has worked with a stellar client list including the BBC and The Guardian. Laura works from her home studio in South East London.