Audiobooks: Awake not sleeping: Reimagining fairy tales for a new generation

The illustration has been designed for the fairy tale “Beyond the Woods,” as part of the Awake Not Sleeping initiative. Illustration: UN Women/Natasha Konjevic.

The UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia presents its new creative writing initiative, "Awake not sleeping: Reimagining fairy tales for a new generation". The powerful collection of fairy tales from across Europe and Central Asia aims to support fresh, creative dialogue to change the way societies think about women and girls’ roles, leadership and rights by rewriting and reimagining popular fairy tales. It includes 28 stories from 23 countries – Albania, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Kyrgyzstan, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Russia, Serbia, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan. 

The initiative explores the role of fairy tales in the cultural struggle for gender equality, ending violence against women and intersectional feminism. Listen to the audiobooks of reimagined fairy tales providing new generations the opportunity to explore new possibilities of seeing gender equality for themselves, their friends, families and communities. 

Wee Little Khavroshechka by Daria Apakhonchich	The Child Without Golden Hair by Kalina Maleska	Snow by Altyn Kapalova	The Frog Girl by Ivanka Ferenčić Martinčić	The Spinning Girl by Bergrún Íris Sævarsdóttir

Check out "Awake Not Sleeping: Reimagining fairy tales for a new generation” initiative's interactive website here.