Pig Tails

From the farmyards of old Europe to the rainforests of Asia and the red earth of Africa, the humble pig has trotted through centuries of story and song.

In these pages you'll meet clever swine who outwit wolves and kings, tricksters and shapeshifters, faithful companions and foolish dreamers.

Drawn from the world's folk and fairy traditions, these tales reveal the wit, warmth, and the wild spirit of one of humanity's oldest friends.

A feast of piggish tales, funny, wise, and full of mud-splashed magic.

Clive Gilson was born in 1962 into a household steeped in sport and rhythm. His father was a senior amateur and lower-league professional footballer, while his mother, equally formidable, was an award-winning ballroom dancer. Their spirited household didn't just hum with ambition, it danced to it.After earning a degree in History from Leeds University, Clive took an unexpected turn into the then-nascent world of information technology in the late 1980s. Yet, the call of story and stage never left him. Alongside a thriving tech career, he freelanced as a journalist and book reviewer, earning one small by-line in the national press, and also spent over a decade performing in village halls and professional theatres across the south of England.A true inheritor of his family's sporting zeal, Clive later pivoted into live sports broadcasting. In the 1990s, he became a trusted rugby 'stato' for the BBC, ITV, EuroSport, and TVNZ, bringing insight and analysis to major tournaments including the Heineken Cup, Six Nations, World Sevens, and Rugby World Cups.As a writer, Clive has made his mark across genres. His debut novel, Songs of Bliss, was published in 2017, followed by A Solitude of Stars in 2019. Since then, he has released three acclaimed short story collections, The Mechanic's Curse, The Insomniac Booth, and, in 2025, Melodies in Black Ink.He is also an award-winning poet and the author of a biography detailing the life of a former professional footballer, namely his father. Since 2018, Clive has served as Managing Editor of the Firesides Tales Project, a global storytelling initiative that has published over 30 collections of folktales, fairy tales, myths, and legends from around the world.Today, Clive continues to write fiction rich in folklore, memory, and quiet transformation, combining his deep love of narrative with a lifelong fascination with the human spirit.For more about his work, visit clivegilson.com, where stories are always waiting to be found.