Once Upon a Time is an anthology of writing produced by people currently incarcerated in prisons across England and Wales.

The project began with an open call distributed through prison education programmes, inviting people inside to submit writing of any form. The response brought together a wide range of voices, with contributions moving between poetry, personal reflection, humour, observation, and fragments of storytelling. 

In keeping with the spirit of the project, the book itself was also produced within the prison system. It was printed at a prison that has a print studio, meaning that both the writing and the physical object were created within the same environment that shaped the work.

Rather than presenting a single narrative about incarceration, Once Upon a Time gathers many perspectives. Some texts reflect on memory, relationships, and life beyond the prison walls. Others focus on the immediate rhythms of confinement. Together they form a record of expression emerging from a place where opportunities to be heard are often limited.