The Shadows and Light Folktale Series: Discovering Story-Power
For a writer whose most famous book is about the biology of animal faeces, it may seem like a stretch to be creating stories with their roots in folktales.
Ghosts and Apparitions in Punch Cartoons
From figures of power to figures of fun, ghosts and apparitions changed dramatically in Punch cartoons over the course of two centuries.
From Oracle Ox to Gorse Goddess: Taking Lore Seriously in ‘Folk’
Writers have long retold folk tales just as musicians have reinterpreted folk songs. But when writing Folk, I aimed not to tell old tales but to imbue the world of the novel with folklore, both real and imagined.
The Seal Children: Sealskins and Soulskins. Or, When We Were Migrants
The first story that I found in this land where I live was The Seal Children, and as we walk the path to Maes Y Mynydd where the story is set, my mind wanders back through selkie stories.
Whither Shall I Wander? Reflections on Mother Goose: Past, Present, and Once Upon a Time
hither shall I wander? This question can be a delightful start to considering the history of the inestimable Mother Goose, illustrious ancestor of the Mother Goose of The Mother Goose Letters (at Bay Press, 2019). As her correspondence in the book reveals, Mother Goose is also a character of longevity and considerable force. At one […]