Introduction / by Simon Mason
Magic carpets : the writer's responsibilities
The writing of stories : making it up and writing it down
Heinrich von Kleist: "On the marionette theatre" : grace lost and regained
Paradise lost : an introduction
The origin of the universe : the storytelling of science and religion : a response to a lecture by Stephen Hawking
The path through the wood : how stories work
Dreaming of spires : Oxfords, real and imaginary
Intention : what do you mean?
Children's literature without borders : stories shouldn't need passports
Let's write it in red : the practice of writing
Epics : big stories about big things
Folk tales of Britain : streams of stories down through the years
As clear as water : making a new version of the Brothers Grimm
A bar at the Folies-Bergère : modernism and storytelling
Poco a poco : the fundamental particles of narrative
The classical tone : narrative tact and other classical virtues
Reading in the borderland : reading, books and pictures
Oliver Twist : an introduction
Let's pretend : novels, films and the theatre
The Firework-Maker's Daughter on stage : the story of a story
Imaginary friends : are stories anti-scientific?
Balloon debate : why fiction is valuable
The anatomy of melancholy : an introduction to an indispensable book
Soft Beulah's night : William Blake and vision
Writing fantasy realistically : fantasy, realism and faith
The story of The good man Jesus and the scoundrel Christ : a response to puzzled readers
The cat, the chisel and the grave : do we need a theory of human nature to tell us how to write stories?
"I must create a system ..." : a moth's-eye view of William Blake
Talents and virtues : another visit to Miss Goddard's grave
God and dust : notes for a study day with the Bishop of Oxford
The Republic of Heaven : God is dead, long live the Republic!