Author(s): Helen Hopcroft

Anthologies, Essays, Literary Studies

"Soon the night will come, and to save my life, I must tell another story".So begins the famous tale of Scheherazade, kidnapped from her parent's home in the desert by the Sultan's soldiers, and brought to his palace in the city. Every night she must invent a new story - "for his amusement: for my salvation" - so that she can live to see another dawn. Tormented by a feverish sexuality, Scheherazade tells stories with both words and skin. But after nearly a thousand nights in his palace, Scheherazade realises that the greatest threat to her life may not come from the Sultan himself.The Nights is a passionate fairy tale about art, love, sex and power. It speaks to the creative struggle that all artists endure: the endless search for authenticity, inspiration and time.