At the very centre of the powerful Ottoman (Turkish) Empire, was the seat of Government and entrance to the vast, rambling palace in Istanbul, populated by high officials. Most significant in this series of buildings was a gate that didn’t even belong to the palace but was built across the street: the Bâb-ï-’Ali, or the “Sublime Porte,” through which one entered the palace of the Grand Vizier. This gate and its name came to represent the entire Ottoman Government and is better known in English as The Exalted Gate entering which one came into a world unlike any other, filled with wonders, with people from all over the Empire, with a million stories each one more incredible than the last .
I have used this historical gate as the title to ten fairy stories with modern twists in them all inspired by paintings by my friend Annie Ovenden. The book is being designed by Jackie Pascoe and has begun to look very good which is why I am writing about it now, months before it will ever be published.
The stories are traditional in that they are about elves, and magical boots, and talking animals but they all have a modern element from discussions about marriage, to slavery, from feminism to animal rights.
We are also going to see if we can design a game in the book! Well for six year olds I think one can be adventurous.