Ox-Tales

Oxfam have just released a limited edition of their Ox-Tales books which originally appeared in 2009. Thirty eight authors each contributed a short story themed on one of the four alchemical elements: Earth, Air, Fire and Water. These roughly correspond with the four main areas of Oxfam’s work: from land rights to farming (earth), combating climate change (air); campaigning for arms control (fire); and safe water and sanitation (water. ) Four paperbacks were published last year (and are still available), but the authors all agreed to sign a limited edition box set of the four Ox-Tales books. This has been produced in a run of 200 numbered copies (150 for sale). The edition is printed on fine art paper, bound in cloth and board covers, and with the four books housed together in a special solander box. Not cheap, but the money all goes to support the work of Oxfam.

Every box set has been individually signed by each of the following authors: Diran Adebayo, Kate Atkinson, Beryl Bainbridge, William Boyd, Jonathan Buckley, Jonathan Coe, Geoff Dyer, Michel Faber, Sebastian Faulks, Helen Fielding, Giles Foden, Esther Freud, Xialou Guo, Mark Haddon, Zoë Heller, Victoria Hislop, A.L. Kennedy, Hari Kunzru, Hanif Kureishi, John le Carré, Marti Leimbach, Marina Lewycka, Alexander McCall Smith, Michael Morpurgo, David Park, DBC Pierre, Ian Rankin, Vikram Seth, Nicholas Shakespeare, Kamila Shamsie, Lionel Shriver, Helen Simpson, Ali Smith, William Sutcliffe, Rose Tremain, Joanna Trollope, Louise Welsh, and Jeanette Winterson.