In celebration of the Glyndebourne Festival, Jeanette Winterson has brought together some of the best loved and most critically acclaimed authors writing today to pen stories inspired by opera. Includes an introduction by Jeanette Winterson, Alexander McCall Smith on Cosi Fan Tutte, Ali Smith on Fidelio, Andrew Motion on Peter Grimes, Andrew O'Hagan on Eugene Onegin, Anne Enright on La Boheme, Antonia Fraser on The Marriage of Figaro, Colm Toibin on Pearl Fishers, Jackie Kay on The Makropulos Affair, Joanna Trollope on L'Elisir d'Amore, Julie Myerson on Ariadne auf Naxos, Jeanette Winterson on La Fanciulla del West, Kate Atkinson on La Traviata, Kate Mosse on Pelleas et Melisande, Lynne Truss on The Turn of the Screw, Marina Warner on Dido and Aeneas, Paul Bailey on The Makropulos Affair, Posy Simmonds, 'Midsummer Night at Glyndebourne', Ruth Rendell on Theodora, Sebastian Barry on Natoma, Toby Litt on Don Giovanni.

"Winterson's stellar cast delivers plenty of incident as well as atmosphere to power this upbeat collection" - Financial Times

"Soars to some hugely enjoyable climaxes" - Irish Times

"Wonderfully innovative, creative and fun" - The Times

"Offers a glimpse of how the inspirational and the creative juices interact" - Spectator

"'Winterson's stellar cast delivers plenty of incident as well as atmosphere to power this upbeat collection' Financial Times." - Financial Times

"'Soars to some hugely enjoyable climaxes' Irish Times." - Irish Times

"'Offers a glimpse of how the inspirational and the creative juices interact' Spectator." - Spectator

"'Wonderfully innovative, creative and fun' The Times" - The Times