Faiza Mirza’s Cinderella arrives on our Culture page as a sparkling, sharp‑tongued reinvention of the classic tale — a retelling that trades innocence for satire and glass slippers for psychological insight. In this version, jealousy, beauty, and social hierarchy become both comedy and critique, giving Feline readers a story they already know, rewritten with modern bite and emotional intelligence.

Read more below

Jane Fallon's new release Welcome to the neighbourhood is once again, modern life's book on everything, something Fallon excels in. A capsule to swallow, giving you the lowdown on all you need to know. The book itself, looks at the life of Kitty, who notices exactly, who has moved into the local area, or street. 'Number 8' is now the home of Sian and Richard, and are everything a Londoner wants to be. Attracting attention, and in with all the latest trends, and perfect friends, Kitty is desperate to be their friend too. Shrewd and motivated, she makes attempts to introduce herself, and both boys into her life, and dreams of a dazzling social life with both included in her plans. One day, however she notices that a third party has arrived, and what was once 2 has now, become 3. Who is this extra person? Kitty finds out....asking her friend, Grace, to help.

The story of Artemesia is currently being explored in an exhibition at the IKON Gallery, Birmingham. 

''Ikon is a partner in National Treasures, a key strand of the programme celebrating the National Gallery’s Bicentenary, NG200. Ikon presents a masterpiece by Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1654 or later), Self Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria (about 1615-17).

Wrapped around the Gentileschi work, and made as a direct response, is a solo exhibition by contemporary Irish artist Jesse Jones, whose artistic practice crosses film, sound, performance, sculpture and installation. Mirror Martyr Mirror Moon considers art history, cinema, feminism, ritual and healing, presenting multiple interconnected archetypes of feminist resistance.

For this self-portrait Artemisia Gentileschi, the most celebrated female artist of the seventeenth century, appears in the guise of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, a Christian saint martyred in the early fourth century. Fascinated by Gentileschi’s decision to title her work Self Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Jesse Jones explores the performative relationship between the artist and the medium of self-portraiture. Through extensive research, Jones, like many other contemporary scholars, views Gentileschi’s work as a composite of three women: Gentileschi herself, Saint Catherine (287-305 AD) and the pagan philosopher, mathematician and astronomer Hypatia (around 370–415 AD). ''

Artemisia Exhibition

Visit the Manor House at Hidcote this October to see an exhibition presented by the artists of Artemisia.

Cinderella: An adaptation of a classic fairy tale by Faiza Mirza is a lyrical reimagining of the beloved story, where fairy dust isn’t just a magical substance—it’s a symbol of hope, transformation, and quiet rebellion.

In just 62 pages, this Kindle edition published by Michael Terence Publishing invites readers into a world where dreams shimmer beneath palace stars and the soft dust of possibility settles on every page. 

This adaptation is ideal for readers who crave fairy tales with emotional depth and symbolic resonance. It’s a perfect companion for those who see storytelling as a form of empowerment—and who know that sometimes, the most radical thing a girl can do is believe in her own magic.

The tale follows Cinderella not as a passive damsel, but as a dreamer who dares to believe in her own worth. One night, she sleeps beneath a sky “twinkling and scintillating,” dreaming of a Prince—not as a savior, but as a mirror to her longing.

Fairy dust appears like a whisper of magic, a gentle nudge toward destiny. It’s the quiet sparkle that coats her courage, the glimmer that lingers in her footsteps as she walks toward a life she’s imagined. This isn’t just a retelling—it’s a reclamation. Mirza’s prose dances between poetic and satirical, offering readers a Cinderella who is both tender and tenacious.

Narrative Power & Satirical Bite in Faiza Mirza’s Adaptation

Faiza Mirza’s Cinderella doesn’t simply retell a fairy tale — it dismantles the architecture of the original and rebuilds it with modern emotional intelligence. The classic arc, built on passivity and rescue, is reshaped into a story where agency eclipses destiny. Mirza refuses the old fantasy of salvation-by-prince; instead, she centres a heroine who navigates her world with wit, awareness, and a sharpened understanding of the social forces around her. The transformation is no longer a miracle bestowed upon a helpless girl — it’s a moment of self‑definition, a reclamation of narrative power.

This shift in structure reframes the entire emotional landscape. The tension doesn’t hinge on whether Cinderella will be saved, but on how she will interpret, endure, and outgrow the psychological games of those who seek to diminish her. Mirza’s arc is less about escape and more about evolution — a heroine who steps into her own story rather than waiting to be written into someone else’s.

Humour becomes the scalpel that makes this possible. Mirza’s satire isn’t decorative; it’s diagnostic. The stepmother’s vanity, the sisters’ competitive cruelty, the rituals of beauty and social performance — all are exaggerated just enough to expose the darker truths beneath them. The comedy is sharp because it’s rooted in recognition: readers laugh not at caricatures, but at behaviours they’ve seen in real life, in real rooms, in real female environments. Ridicule becomes revelation.

By turning the classic tale into a psychological comedy, Mirza reveals how absurd — and how familiar — the old power structures truly are. The humour doesn’t soften the cruelty; it illuminates it. And in doing so, it gives Cinderella’s agency even more weight. She isn’t simply rising above pettiness; she’s seeing it clearly for what it is.

Mirza’s Cinderella is a fairy tale with teeth — a story where narrative structure and satire work together to expose the emotional politics of femininity, and where the heroine’s triumph comes not from rescue, but from recognition.

Try something new this year. Perfect for gifts, birthdays, weddings or a special occasion. Even better if bought from Paris this year. Macaroons from Paris.