‘Once upon a time…’ at those words the audience goes quiet, ready for the story. Will it be about princesses or tricksters? Talking animals, ogres and stepmothers? The format seems timeless and we are transported to a world divorced from the real world. But fairy tales are not novels, composed by an author, the form and style set in stone. We sometimes forget this. Fairy tales are more interesting, flexible, chameleon like. We were reminded of this at the IBBY UK/NCRCL MA conference as speakers presented the concept of the alternative fairy tale. This theme is carried into this issue as Beth Webb explores how the fairy tale – the traditional tale with all its usual ingredients – can be used to help troubled adults or children to confront fears or issues; there is value in the traditional when both teller and audience take ownership of the story, transforming the template into something personal. Dalila Forni examines how an artist, Roberto Innocenti, takes that traditional landscape and makes it familiar through the visual language he adopts, enriching and extending the reader’s response to the archetypal story.

Fairy tales will have almost certainly had a place in all our childhoods whether in a traditional form or given the Disney makeover. Delaram Ghanimifard recalls her experience of fairy tale as she grew up in Iran, experiences that have fuelled her passion to publish fairy tales that will cross boundaries today and inspiring her to create a new series One Story, Many Voices in which a new version of ‘Cinderella’ makes its debut. Cinderella, of course, is the princess and perfect.