The Owl Service

Story

Alison and her stepbrother, Roger, can hear scratching in the attic? Nothing but dusty old plates are found but they are not what they seem! They soon discover that the flowery patterns on the plates fit together to create owls. Owls that vanish when no one is watching…

Why we chose it

A beautifully written young adult novel from a master storyteller. Based on a Welsh legend which tells the story of a love triangle, three teenagers, spending one hot summer in a tiny Welsh valley, find their lives mirroring the legend. A story which blends ancient legend with modern class conflict to create a haunting, atmospheric story.

Where it came from

Alan Garner is an English novelist, best known for his children's fantasy novels and retellings of traditional British folk tales. Inspiration for his works come from the landscape, history and folklore of his native home county of Cheshire in North West England.

Where it went next

In 1969 The Owl Service was adapted into a television series. It was dramatised for BBC Radio 4 in 2000. Alan himself claims to only ever have seen one of these mysterious owl plates in his lifetime…

Associated stories

Other novels by Alan Garner include fantasy novels The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, The Moon of Gomrath, Elidor and the beautiful The Stone Book Quartet, four linked stories about rural England.