British Library publishes new book by Juliette Wood
23 April 2026
The Little book of Unicorns is a beautifully illustrated introduction to this mythological creature
Dr Juliette Wood is a world-renowned folklorist and Celtic scholar. She has taught courses at Lifelong Learning at Cardiff University for over twenty years, her latest book has recently been published by The British Library.
The unicorn has become instantly recognisable, traditionally depicted as a white horse with a single spiralled horn. The Little Book of Unicorns traces the story from classical texts and travellers’ tales to its place in medieval symbolism and beyond.
A symbol of purity, love, and healing, the unicorn has captured imaginations across centuries, and across cultures, from the Chinese Qilin to the unicorns of twenty-first century fantasy novels.
The ‘animal that never was’ continues to inspire and Juliette commented:
Ever since childhood, the unicorn has been one of my favourite fantastic beasts. So, it was a very special pleasure to be able to write a book about them and share some wonderful traditions about this intriguing creature.
The Little Book of Unicorns is available now.