King Alfred and the Ice Coffin

Step into the Anglo-Saxon world of King Alfred the Great in a lyrical retelling from a Carnegie Medal-winning author and Kate Greenaway Medal-winning former Children's Laureate.

Alfred the Great is one of the most iconic rulers in British history and the only one to be known as "Great". Not only did he mount a fierce resistance against Viking invaders, he was also a keen scholar and collector of stories. He welcomed travellers with a tale to his court, which brings in the intrepid sailor Wulfstan. Wulfstan dazzles Alfred's court with a story of shipwrecks, horse-racing and a ruler buried in ice.

Kevin Crossley-Holland has translated Wulfstan's thrilling tale from the Anglo-Saxon into a rhythmic prose poem with lavish artwork by Chris Riddell.