Discover 20 wondrous islands – from the rugged landscape of the Orkney islands that people of the Stone Age once called home, to the sunny coasts of the Isles of Scilly. This captivating journey reveals islands as places of wonder and warning, rich with histories that have shaped the world far beyond their shores.

Perfect for curious explorers, map lovers and anyone enchanted by the magic of faraway places, Once Upon an Island is an unforgettable voyage through geography, history and story.

Featuring first person narratives and read-aloud maps, all brought to life with beautiful illustrations by Helen Cann.

Islands include:
1. Chiloé
2. Waiheke
3. Madagascar
4. Lake Titicaca
5. Samoa
6. Tiwi
7. Seychelles
8. Amazon River Islands
9. Mumbai
10. Hawai’i
11. Isla Mujeres
12. Yonaguni
13. Putuo
14. Sicily
15. Lesbos
16. Vis
17. Scilly
18. Texel
19. Orkney
20. Baffin

‘Fascinating, often exhilarating … Albinia is an intrepid, imaginative guide‘ TLS

The Britannias tells the story of Britain’s islands and how they are woven into its collective cultural psyche.

From Neolithic Orkney to modern-day Thanet, Alice Albinia explores the furthest reaches of Britain’s island topography, once known (wrote Pliny) by the collective term, Britanniae. Sailing over borders, between languages and genres, trespassing through the past to understand the present, this book knocks the centre out to foreground neglected epics and subversive voices.

The ancient mythology of islands ruled by women winds through the literature of the British Isles – from Roman colonial-era reports, to early Irish poetry, Renaissance drama to Restoration utopias – transcending and subverting the most male-fixated of ages. The Britannias looks far back into the past for direction and solace, while searching for new meaning about women’s status in the body politic. Boldly upturning established truths about Britain, it pays homage to the islands’ beauty, independence and their suppressed or forgotten histories.

‘Fascinating, often exhilarating … Albinia is an intrepid, imaginative guide‘ TLS

The Britannias tells the story of Britain’s islands and how they are woven into its collective cultural psyche.

From Neolithic Orkney to modern-day Thanet, Alice Albinia explores the furthest reaches of Britain’s island topography, once known (wrote Pliny) by the collective term, Britanniae. Sailing over borders, between languages and genres, trespassing through the past to understand the present, this book knocks the centre out to foreground neglected epics and subversive voices.

The ancient mythology of islands ruled by women winds through the literature of the British Isles – from Roman colonial-era reports, to early Irish poetry, Renaissance drama to Restoration utopias – transcending and subverting the most male-fixated of ages. The Britannias looks far back into the past for direction and solace, while searching for new meaning about women’s status in the body politic. Boldly upturning established truths about Britain, it pays homage to the islands’ beauty, independence and their suppressed or forgotten histories.