In the book Seren explores how, in the past, humans' lives centred around the rhythms of the natural world and how doing the same can help you to lead a more connected and fulfilled life. The Ancient Ways is structured around the seasons and pagan festivals and aims to be an empowering guide to reconnecting with the natural world through its mythology, folklore and ancient tradition.

Seren is hugely popular on social media and in this exclusive publication day interview with the Folklore Podcast's host, Mark Norman, she discusses the book and her practical work and lifestyle behind the words.

Follow Seren on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/hedgerow_healing

The Ancient Ways is published by Bluebird, an imprint of Pan Macmillan. Buy a copy online at:

• Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ancient-Ways-Folklore-Traditions-Reconnect/dp/1035065991/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.SZ-ziQ-GpA2jE8rc_KeNUw.26qOeLXCtcE9yzo73bozXYTYGrgErYTFrx3d02JW3GA&dib_tag=se&keywords=9781035065998&qid=1786366387&sr=8-1
• Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-ancient-ways/seren-hawley-plows/9781035065998
• Bookshop.org: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-ancient-ways-a-year-of-folklore-traditions-and-rituals-to-reconnect-with-nature-seren-hawley-plows/88809a335744a35c?ean=9781035065998&affiliate=73

Support The Folklore Podcast on Patreon, either for free or with a small monthly donation, at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast and access exclusive extra content.

This episode of The Folklore Podcast is sponsored by Bluebird, part of Pan Macmillan.

We visit the circus in this episode of The Folklore Podcast. Specifically, we are guests of Paulo's Circus where, after watching a traditional circus performance, we interview Kenny Darnell, son of the current circus owner and part of a family with circus heritage going back many generations.

Kenny talks about circus heritage, the importance of the art form in the modern world, and some of the myths and superstitions attached to the circus, its workers and performers. We also find out about an exciting new plan to bring a new addition to a very rare piece of circus history - the permanent indoor circus.

You can visit Paulo's circus online at https://www.paulos.co.uk/

Support The Folklore Podcast and enjoy extra exclusive content and other rewards on our Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

We explore folk medicine of two different historical periods, the tenth and the seventeenth century, in this episode of The Folklore Podcast.

I am joined by special guest, author Danielle Giles, whose first two novels have this focus and provide our lens. 'Mere', set in the Norfolk marshes in the 10th century, explores the work of a convent infirmarian, and Danielle's new novel 'Gentle Things' is located around an apothecary's shop.

We look at older pagan beliefs and practices and their adoption into the Christian church, some of the plants and healing techniques used, and pay more than passing service to the subject of medical cannibalism. This one is perhaps not teatime viewing!

You can find Danielle on the web at https://www.daniellegileswriter.com/

Find the 100 Ballads Project, which is referred to in this episode, online at https://www.100ballads.org/

To support the Folklore Podcast in its goal of providing excellent free folklore content each month, please visit http://www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

In this special episode of The Folklore Podcast, recorded live on location at The Bookery, a community-owned bookshop in Crediton, Devon, host Mark Norman talks with BBC Radio 6 Music's Zakia Sewell about her book Finding Albion. Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Non-Fiction, the book is an exploration of British identity, folk culture and myth and grew out of a documentary series Zakia made for BBC Radio 4.

Find Zakia online at www.zakiasewell.co.uk

Support The Folklore Podcast and join a community of like-minded others at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast where there is plenty more free and paid content available.

In this episode of The Folklore Podcast, host Mark Norman is joined by special guest Bar Fridman-Tell about her debut novel 'Honeysuckle'.

Part horror, part fantasy, part magic but completely engaging, the story in an unholy alliance between the flower woman of Welsh mythology and a creation of Victor Frankenstein!

Bar talks about her inspirations, the treatment of the original story and the ways in which she combines real-world folklore with her own imagination. You can also hear a short extract from the audiobook, courtesy of the publisher.

You can find Honeysuckle wherever books are sold, and visit Bar on the web at https://www.barfridmantell.com/

To support The Folklore Podcast on Patreon (for free or for a small donation) and get access to extra content, please visit www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

The second of two episodes featuring interviews recorded live at the UK Ghost Story Festival in Derby in February 2026.

In this second part, host Mark Norman meets two more of the presenters from the event. You will hear:

MELANIE ATKINSON: On horror and ghost story writing

SUSANNAH WISE: On the tangential way that ghosts appear in her writing, and writing from screen as well as novels.

Support the Folklore Podcast on Patreon and get free exclusive bonus material. Join as a free member or on a paid tier at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

Folklorist and author Mark Norman, the creator of The Folklore Podcast, looks at the imagery of the fairy, in conversation with illustrator and folklore enthusiast Tamsin Rosewell.

As well as chatting with Tamsin about her past, and her interest in folklore and the fairy world more generally, the episode takes a close look at the fairy in art, literature and culture.

We also want your views! What are your early memories of fairy images? How do you think the fairy will change over time? Please fill out our micro survey which will inform a future episode on this subject. You will find a short form on this link:

https://forms.gle/RQ2C8KiX5XDpDAfz5

Thank you for giving us your views.

To support The Folklore Podcast and get extra exclusive content, please join our Patreon page. You can subscribe as a free member for some content, explore the site, and choose a paid tier if you want to see and hear more. Please visit:

https://www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

The first of two episodes featuring interviews recorded live at the UK Ghost Story Festival in Derby in February 2026.

In this first part, host Mark Norman meets four presenters from the festival to discuss their particular areas of interest. You will hear:

DAN WEBBER discussing queer readings of Dracula and theatrical adaptations of ghost stories

TRACY FAHEY on Irish ghosts and the idea of ghost estates

ANTHONY KERRIGAN talking about fairy folklore and its links to abduction cases

RICHARD FARREN BARBER answering the question 'What mkaes an effective ghost?'

Support the Folklore Podcast on Patreon and get free exclusive bonus material. Join as a free member or on a paid tier at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

In this episode, recorded on location, host Mark Norman meets members of the Turning Tides Project to talk about their Arts Council funded project AND 'OTHER' STORIES which presents the work of a group of artists with and without 'learning disability' and 'autism' labels.

And 'Other' Stories reworks fairy tales and folktales in different ways to challenge our ideas about disability. It invites you to:

• Consider the human tendency to exclude and create "Other".
• Look for ways we can value our rich heritage of traditional stories in a way that respects everyone, as equal.
• Immerse yourself in multi-sensory approaches to storytelling.
• Experience an approach to presenting information that gives everyone equal access to that information.

Mark discusses the project with facilitators Abi and Jane from Turning Tides, along with two of the participants.

A very special feature length episode of The Folklore Podcast, with a panel consisting of the cream of those people associated with the classic children's title THE BOX OF DELIGHTS.

Podcast host Mark Norman discusses the enduring love for Box in all its forms with an amazing line-up of guests, consisting of:

PHIL ERRINGTON - John Masefield expert and author of 'Opening the Box of Delights'

PIERS TORDAY - Children's author and playwright responsible for adapting the Box of Delights for the stage, including the RSC production

CHRIS CHAPMAN - BBC documentary maker and director of 'Time and Tide: Making the Box of Delights' for the BluRay edition

You can support the Folklore Podcast on Patreon and access even more content for free, or with a donation, at http://www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

In this episode we visit the 2025 UK Ghost Story Festival, which was held at the Museum of Making in Derby. Host Mark Norman meets some of the presenters from the festival and chats to them about ghost stories and their work.

Children's author ALEX FOULKES discusses her middle-grade books, and talks about writing vampires for children.

Author and editor TEIKA MARIJA SMITS talks about the darker side of fairy stories and her own short ghost fiction

Academic DR SAM HIRST tell us all about her project Romancing the Gothic and the wide range of areas in which that particular genre can take you.

Learn more about the guests on their websites:

Alex: https://foulkeswrites.wordpress.com/

Teika: https://teikamarijasmits.com/

Sam: https://romancingthegothic.com/

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https://www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

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