If you’ve followed this blog for a while, you might be aware that when I’m not writing I sometimes act as Media Officer for Homespun, a new children’s theatre company.  Now I am cannily combining the two in the interests of raising cash to send our show, East of the Sun West of the Moon (which was pretty well received at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this year) on tour in 2013.  I am putting together an eBook of folk and fairy stories, with all proceeds going towards redevelopment and production costs.  I am therefore looking for bright young things to donate their stories in the interests of supporting new children’s theatre.  If you or someone you know is a bright young thing, please read on for more information…

Homespun Theatre Company is combing the globe in search of new fairy stories for a fundraising eBook.  Do you have a tale of sword fighting damsels, talking animals, missing slippers or terrifying dragon wasps that’s begging to be read?  Perhaps you’ve adapted a favourite folk tale from your childhood and want to share it with the world?  We want to help you achieve this goal.

You see, Homespun came together through a shared love of storytelling.  From J R R Tolkien to Dick King Smith, from Jim Henson to Studio Ghibli, we love magic and adventure in all forms.  As a theatre company, our MO is simple – we want to make something new from something old, blow dust off forgotten tales, and find the magic around the edges.

In 2012 we debuted our first children’s show, East of the Sun West of the Moon, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.  It went really well – so well that we want to take it on a UK tour in 2013.  Some venues have indicated that they would rather like to see us, which is most encouraging.  So, to raise money for redevelopment and production costs, we have decided to publish a book of fairy stories.

That’s where you come in, you lovers of magic and wonder and words.  We want as many stories as we can cram into an eBook (which is a lot, by the way) and we want them to be edited together into a beautiful digital creation in time for Christmas.

We’re interested in all kinds of stories.  If you want to look at darker themes in a traditionally Grimm sort of way that’s OK, and if you want to be a little more child friendly that’s great too!

Send your story in the body of an email to homespuntheatre@gmail.com by 5pm on FRIDAY NOVEMBER 16th.

The maximum limit is 5,000 words – but that’s a limit, not a target!  There is no minimum word count.  We’ll be in touch the weekend of the 17th to let you know if we’re including your story.

The rewards: our eternal love, a digital copy of the book, and who knows – one day we might ask you to help us adapt your tale to take on tour!