Secret serpents, devilish demons, mysterious magicians -- the folk tales of Iraq teem with otherworldly creatures, magic and earthy humour.

Award-winning novelist Elizabeth Laird has gathered together the very best Iraqi stories during her time in the Middle East -- stories ranging from thieving porcupines who get their come-uppance to the hilarious tale of the chaos caused by a handsome stranger who knocks at a house inside which lurks a marriageable daughter.

Meticulously researched and elegantly retold, the stories reveal the true, traditional heart of Iraq, far removed from today's news headlines.