The Unofficial Guide to the Ancient Egyptian Afterlife

The Unofficial Guide to the Ancient Egyptian Afterlife by Bastet the cat, Sophie Berger and Laura Winstone

978-1-800660-12-0

A light-hearted, but nonetheless informative insight into the fascinating beliefs and traditions of Ancient Egypt. Striking collage illustrations by Laura Winstone bring a freshness of tone to a subject matter that might be ancient, but never grows old.

“Hello my newly dead friends. Gather round. My name is Bastet and I’m going to be your tour guide to the afterlife. Please make sure your bandages don’t trail as we walk along.”

Bastet is a mummified cat who is here to take you on a journey through the mystical death rituals of Ancient Egypt. Starting with some routine disembowelment and mummification, she explains about the role of the coffins, the separation of your soul, the importance of amulets and the various types of Egyptian tombs. Together, you will cross the river Styx and face the gods in one final judgement – the weighing of the heart. Bastet will make sure you have everything you need in the afterlife, because, it turns out, you can take it with you after all!

Sophie Berger is a blogger and writer. She is the author of Bartholomew and the Morning Monsters (Cicada, 2020).

Laura Winstone is a Norwich based illustrator and a recent graduate of the CSABI
degree in Children’s Book Illustration. She was awarded second place in the Macmillan Illustration Prize 2021 for her book ‘The Catmolean Museum’, on which this book is based. Her distinctive collage illustrations radiate warmth and humour.