Future Fables Aesop

An Australian writer of Aboriginal Mununjali Yugambeh and Dutch heritage, Ellen van Neerven has won various literary prizes for their works of fiction, poetry, drama and non-fiction. Their fable invites us to reflect on the relationship between humans and the lands we inhabit, giving us a bird’s eye view on how we can better understand our connections with the natural world.

As a senior scribe at Aesop, George Walker has a deep interest in the power of words and the transformative impact of sharing stories. When he isn’t writing for Aesop’s stores, website or amber bottles, he can be found working on the draft of a first novel, following tutelage at Faber’s ‘Writing a Novel’ course and years spent filling notebooks. In this playful, mischievous tale, an unexpected visitor causes a commotion among a scurry of squirrels.

Based in Boulder, Colorado, Stephen Graham Jones is the author of nearly 30 novels, collections, novellas and comic books. His writing typically spans horror, crime and science fiction, and references his heritage as a Blackfoot Native American. In this darkly comic tale, Jones urges us to accept life’s inevitabilities, even the frightening ones.

A writer, researcher and editor, currently working toward her PhD at the University of Oslo, Regina Kanyu Wang artfully weaves together gender politics, environmental issues, and an otherworldly perspective. Following her deep interest in science fiction, this playful yet poignant tale invites us to reflect on the importance we place on the opinions of others.

The work of avid photographer, South East London resident and award-winning novelist Caleb Azumah Nelson is influenced by his Ghanaian heritage, visits to local cinemas and galleries, and the playlists that soundtrack his writing. His second novel, Small Worlds, was released in May 2023. In his fable, two canine companions grow to understand the preciousness of moments spent together, despite the looming fear of being torn apart.  
 

Mieko Kawakami’s Future Fable invites us to reconsider common fears, while underlining the preciousness of friendship.
Mieko Kawakami was recently shortlisted for the International Booker Prize for her novel Heaven (2009), translated by David Boyd, who also translated this fable. Her latest novel is All the Lovers in the Night.
The theme music for the series was composed by Dean Blunt; episodes were mixed, designed and mastered by Hannah Webster at Unit; and each tale is read by Gabriel Santos from Aesop.