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Here Be Dragons co-curated by Cressida Cowell and Toothless - opens 13 July. Admission included with ticket to the Galleries

1001 Stories Collection

Arthur Trilogy

1001 Arthur Trilogy
Added on 11th June 2020

Author Kevin Crossley-Holland
First Published 2000
Publisher Orion

Whispering Wood City of Stories Historical Myths and legends
1001 , Video

A vivid and original retelling of the King Arthur legend, interlinking the stories of the king with the story of a young squire growing up on a medieval Welsh border manor.

Story

The trilogy(The Seeing Stone, At the Crossing Places, King of the Middle March) tells the story of young squire, Arthur de Caldicot, growing up in a medieval manor on the border of Wales and England, then travelling first to France and finally to the Crusades. Alongside his story runs the story of King Arthur, the two stories linked by the seeing stone, the obsidian stone given to Arthur de Caldicot by Merlin, in which he discovers he can see the events in the life of King Arthur.

Why we chose it

A beautifully told story which brings to vivid life both the world of a medieval manor and the world of King Arthur. Kevin Crossley-Holland is a poet and storyteller. His writing is characterised by vivid description using few words and has the rhythms of poetry and of stories told aloud.

Where it came from

Kevin Crossley-Holland had long wanted to write about King Arthur. Inspired by a piece of obsidian on his desk the idea came to him of linking King Arthur’s story with the story of the boy Arthur, growing from childhood to adulthood in the Welsh marches.

Where it went next

The Seeing Stone won numerous awards including the Tir Na Og award and the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize. It was short listed for the Whitbread Children’s Book of the Year and the trilogy has been published in 21 countries.

A fourth novel, Gatty’s Tale tells the story of one of the characters from the trilogy, a girl who travels with other pilgrims from Wales, through Europe to Jerusalem.

Associated stories

Kevin Crossley Holland has written numerous books for children. He is highly acclaimed for his retellings of folk stories and legends, most recently Norse Myths, Tales of Thor, Odin and Loki, illustrated by Alan Love and Between Worlds, Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland. Folk tales and local stories inspire his novels. Two stories set in 1950s Norfolk, Storm and Waterslain Angels, draw on local legends while Bracelet of Bones and Scramasax, tell the story of Solveig a Viking girl who travels to Miklagard (Constantinople) in search of her father.

Added on 11th June 2020

Author Kevin Crossley-Holland
First Published 2000
Publisher Orion

Whispering Wood City of Stories Historical Myths and legends
1001 , Video