Canterbury Tales rebooted with refugee stories of trafficking and detention

Ali Smith, Chris Cleave and Patience Agbabi among contributors to Refugee Tales, based on accounts from Gatwick airport detainees

Geoffrey Chaucer gave us, in the 14th century, The Wife of Bath’s Tale, The Merchant’s Tale and The Knight’s Tale. More than 600 years later, authors including Ali Smith, Chris Cleave and Marina Lewycka have come together to write a modern version of The Canterbury Tales, working with refugees in Britain to tell their stories in a forthcoming anthology.

Out on 23 June from Manchester independent publisher Comma Press, Refugee Tales features stories including Cleave’s The Lorry Driver’s Tale, Smith’s The Detainee’s Tale, Lewycka’s The Dependant’s Tale and Patience Agbabi’s The Refugee’s Tale. It stems from refugee charity the Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group, which sends volunteers into the two detention centres at Gatwick airport to speak to the hundreds of people who are held there.

Continue reading...