Hearing Homer’s Scream Across Three Thousand Years

This article examines the challenges that faced two storytellers when developing an oral retelling of Homer’s Iliad for use with children aged 9–11. Drawing on evidence from two schools in a deprived area of London the discussion explores the extent to which the storytellers have been successful in creating a version of the story that is both faithful to the original in content and language, and accessible to the widest possible audience.