A wonderful new collection of stories from some of the world's finest writers

Taking Kipling's Just So Stories as inspiration, a gathering of international authors, including William Boyd, Hanif Kureishi and Michael Morpurgo, have contributed to this collection short stories in their own unique style about an animal of their choice

100 years ago, Rudyard Kipling wrote the internationally acclaimed Just So Stories. When Kipling wrote his story of the rhinoceros with the itchy skin, rhino numbers stood at around 65,000. Today, fewer than 3,000 black rhinos survive. The same tragic story goes for too many other animals.

Now a glittering array of international authors have gathered together to contribute exclusive and original new stories inspired by Kipling’s original volume which focus on the animals which we need to protect today.

The title Just When Stories asks the questions: when will the irrational and cruel destruction of wildlife stop? And when will we take action to make it stop? Estimated at between $6 and $20 billion a year by Interpol, the illegal wildlife trade has drastically reduced numerous wildlife populations and currently has some teetering on the brink of extinction.

All profits from the sales of the book and associated media formats will be donated in full to WildAid and the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation.

Full list of authors: Raffaella Barker, William Boyd, Karen Connelly, Anthony Doerr, Nirmal Ghosh, Romesh Gunesekera, Witi Ihimaera, Radhika Jha, Hanif Kureishi, Antonia Michaelis, Michael Morpurgo, Jin Pyn Lee, Lauren St John, Shaun Tan, Kate Thompson, Nury Vittachi, Angela Young.

In addition to the publication of the book, The Mail on Sunday has launched a national competition to find the best new short story by a 12-17 year old. The winning story will be printed in The Mail on Sunday and included in the Just When Stories volume.

The audiobook version will include readings from David Tennant, Martin Jarvis, Hugh Bonnerville, Romola Garai and Eddie Redmayne.

The Just When project has been created and managed by Tamara Gray, who has campaigned against the illegal trade in endangered species since 1990. She launched the Asian Awareness Programme in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Japan to raise awareness amongst consuming nations where demand for illegal wildlife products in medicine and as status symbols is high.

Details

• ISBN 9781905636204
• Publication date: 19th August 2010
• Format: Crown Hardback
• Pages: 352
• RRP: £14.99

Rights information

World