Three Talks on Folklore

This mini-summit is a focused morning of deep-dive talks and group Q&A, designed to explore ideas in greater depth.

Are you fascinated by the dark tales that lurk in our rural landscapes? Have you ever wondered why mermaids and water spirits have captivated us for centuries? Or how religion, empire, and gender shaped the magical beings we know from fantasy today?

We’ll explore these ideas and more on folklore through three in-depth talks:

Mermaids, Lorelei, and Ladies of the Lake

Dive beneath the surface of water spirit lore, from ancient fish-tailed goddesses to fatal sirens, and discover what these enchanting beings reveal about our deepest fears and desires.

The Dark Side of Folk Lore: A History of Horror & the Uncanny in the Rural Landscape

Venture into the shadowy corners of the countryside where ancient terrors lurk - exploring how folk horror has shaped our uneasy relationship with rural Britain and the land itself.

Elves' Ears & Dwarfs' Beards: How devils, colonialism & gender roles shaped our favourite magical beings

Uncover the surprising origins of fantasy's most beloved creatures - and how religion, empire, and society transformed them into the elves and dwarves we know today.

What to expect:

🧠 Three 45-minute talks that go in-depth on their niches

🗣️ An interactive Q&A with all speakers

🎨 A focused morning of insight and practical takeaways for creative and curious minds

👭 Connect and learn with likeminded individuals

Our Speakers:

Prof Diane Purkiss is Professor of English at the University of Oxford, and a fellow of Keble College. She has published works on witchcraft, fairies, and also on the English Civil War, the occasion of England's biggest witchhunt. She has been in more than a dozen television documentaries; she even has an IMDb entry and a Wikipedia page.She has spoken to general audiences at numerous literary festivals and to many local history societies.

Prof Marisa Linton is a historian, writer and Professor Emerita of History at Kingston University, where she taught the history of folklore, belief in magic, the history of women, and the history of European witch-hunts. She is internationally recognised as a leading authority on the French Revolution, the European Enlightenment and the history of women in France.
Alongside her academic career, she has delivered numerous public talks, appeared on TV and radio, and served as a historical adviser for TV. Today, she also writes fantasy novels that draw on her love for ancient Celtic Britain, folklore and belief in magic, ghost stories and the supernatural.

Dr Jon Norman Mason is a folklorist, cultural historian and professional storyteller. He specialises in how imagination is used to make sense of the world; the relationship between stories and place; and how stories shape, and are shaped by, the times they are told in. He teaches at the University of Brighton, and Brighton and Sussex Medical School; and was researcher/writer for four series of award-winning BBC comedy history podcast You're Dead To Me.