The Arabian Nights introduced readers the world over to a bewitching world of magic, genies, evil spirits and iconic heroes. Actor Richard E Grant investigates their origins and examines their enduring appeal.
The Arabian Nights story that most transfixed me as a boy was Ali Baba and The 40 Thieves.
It appealed because there were caves near the house where I grew up in Swaziland, so a story that featured a cave full of hidden treasure, that could be “opened and closed” with the magic words “Open Sesame” seemed more immediate than other fairy stories I had read.
