The landscape of these isles is embedded with stories: of how the Devil and a race of giants became architects of hills, mountains, and caves; of a host of faeries glimpsed in twilight tales; of the outlaw hero who defiantly embodies the countercultural essence of England; of an innate magic emanating from the land itself. In this issue we look at the power of myths that keep returning to us in one guise or another, at ancient artefacts that tell tales of the deep past, at how mythmaking emerges from the land as a powerful form of protest. Follow us into the dark woods to face both your heart’s desires and terrors untold, and let us gather around the fire for an evening of storytelling. Words by John Callow, Elizabeth Dearnley, Pen Foreman, Nick Freeman, Frazer Lee, Maria J. Pérez Cuervo, Neil Philip, John Reppion, Lisa Schneidau, Marina Warner. Art by Courtney Brook (Light Witch) and Nathaniel Hébert.