While leading us through a glow worm cave in NZ, our Maori guide said that if water drips on your head it's good luck. My son rolled his eyes. "Oh no, mummy's gonna be folkloring again". I've never been prouder.

'Folklore is still part of everyday life in the cities as well as in the countryside.' Novelist and folklore academic @cerihoulbrook.bsky.social is on Northern Voices today talking about boggarts, writing and her new book, Folklore, from @manchesterup.bsky.social on.soundcloud.com/Zn0M7epQr9rg...

Towncreep. Been researching a supposedly lost town in deepest Sussex that 19th century locals called "Towncreep". They said it was destroyed by "the red-haired men". Now that's a folk horror scenario for you. I'll explain in forthcoming book...

'as a rich and fascinating overview and introduction to British folklore this book is really essential reading for anyone interested in the subject. I know I’ll be returning to my copy again and again' - a lovely review of #Folklore on @shinynewbooks.bsky.social shinynewbooks.co.uk/folklore-a-j...

Did you catch our Ceri on BBC Breakfast this morning? If you want more, grab a copy of her Christmas novel, Winter’s Wishfall www.waterstones.com/book/winters...

Loved talking about the history of letters to Santa on BBC Breakfast this morning 💌 🎁 🌲

If anybody wants to hear me babble (hopefully coherently) about my research into letters to Santa archives live on TV, tune into the BBC Breakfast Show this morning at 8:50ish...

In today's Folklore Studies MA class we had the wonderful Sarah Bellisario talking us through her doctoral practitioner work on objects, ritual & emotion, did some creating ourselves along with some eating of Christmas themed snacks

The enchantment of modern housing estates through street names. That's what I'm into at the moment. Here's some Arthurian examples from 3 different towns.

📣 And my lot is now live! Win the auction for my new book Household Lore & you'll get to dictate what I write as the dedication! Perfect for a Christmas present or just to keep on your bookshelf! #WritingCommunity #Charity #Folklore #MariLwyd #Booksky #Refuge 🎄🎁 📚 www.ebay.co.uk/itm/15748994...

Readers, again, it didn't work

My thoughts are with all those households subject to the cheeky elf antics from tomorrow onwards. A long 24 days await. I'm taking a folkloric approach and protecting the hearth from their entry

Great to see @odavies9.bsky.social & @cerihoulbrook.bsky.social's 'Folklore' on the @londonreviewbookshop.co.uk Christmas 2025 list of History titles: londonreviewbookshop.co.uk/collections/... Shopping for someone who loves history, myth & folklore? Look no further! #Folklore #booksky

Lovely to see @cerihoulbrook.bsky.social and @odavies9.bsky.social make the @lrb.co.uk Christmas book list!

Publication day! The Routledge Handbook of Heritage & Creative Practice is out today and it includes my piece on creative responses to the mass removal of love-locks along with some amazing pieces by some brilliant people www.routledge.com/The-Routledg...

British legend postcards. In my occasional quiz series of - where is this? (I know...as I have the postcard in my collection).

Such an interesting and friendly evening with @odavis.bsky.social and @cerihoulbrook.bsky.social discussing the changing nature of folklore at @treadwells-books.bsky.social. Thank you for making me feel so welcome! I look forward to coming back for future events. #Folklore #Booksky #Writersky

Waiting for my pub lunch with some excellent reading by @cerihoulbrook.bsky.social

Arrived too early for a work appointment and the tide was low so had my first taste of Thames mudlarking. All it gave me were a quarter of a plate, a shoe sole, a wooden chair leg, and muddy boots (mine) - and I loved it!

Wrapping up the Haunted Landscape for @forteanlondon.bsky.social is @odavies9.bsky.social and @cerihoulbrook.bsky.social, who are taking us on a legend trip around Britain through the lens of folklore.

Ooh @odavies9.bsky.social and @cerihoulbrook.bsky.social talking about legend tripping at #HauntedLandscapes at @conwayhall.bsky.social for @forteanlondon.bsky.social

The last session of #TheHauntedLandscape from @conwayhall.bsky.social & @forteanlondon.bsky.social is from @odavies9.bsky.social & @cerihoulbrook.bsky.social

@odavies9.bsky.social and @cerihoulbrook.bsky.social speaking about "Legend-Tripping in the British Landscape" - both are a good double-act. For #TheHauntedLandscape Day at #ConwayHall, London @forteanlondon.bsky.social

All set up for greeting future folklorists at the University of Hertfordshire open day. May the maneki-neko beckon them over! #Folklore

'Put some magic & romance into your #Christmas countdown with Ceri Houlbrook's enchanting & escapist debut novel', said one lovely reviewer of Winter's Wishfall. 'Cosy, speculative mystery with a good sprinkling of romance and magic' said another (the wonderful @meljrey.bsky.social I believe) ☺️

'Put some magic & romance into your #Christmas countdown with Ceri Houlbrook's enchanting & escapist debut novel', said one lovely reviewer of Winter's Wishfall. 'Cosy, speculative mystery with a good sprinkling of romance and magic' said another (the wonderful @meljrey.bsky.social I believe) ☺️

Inadvertently legend-tripping around the country for various #Folklore talks

I love getting @folkloresociety.bsky.social newsletter in the post - it's wonderful to see in print all the fascinating folklore people are encountering. I'm especially proud of this issue because one of my MA Folklore students reviewed an exhibition for it: Dark Secrets in London

Signed copies of #Folklore in three bookshops across Edinburgh - my work here is done

This afternoon @beinghumanfest.bsky.social

Coin-trees, love-locks and the Green Power Ranger - I was interviewed for the National Folklore Survey Project and you can read my ramblings here: www.nationalfolkloresurvey.co.uk/news/introdu...

Ceri Houlbrook @cerihoulbrook.bsky.social blogged about the curse of the folklorist - spotting folklore motifs in every movie (in this case The Fantastic Four: First Steps) storymachine.iisys.de/2025/11/02/f...

The littlun & I really enjoyed a spooky storytelling session with Olivia Armstrong in the atmospheric setting of Sopwell ruins as part of @beinghumanfest.bsky.social - we heard about the Green Lady of Hertfordshire (witch, fairy or ghost? It was up to us to decide) & the Tale of Little Grey

Over 2 decades ago (ouch) I started my degree @edinburghuni.bsky.social - this will be my first time back to the city since graduating & I'm so excited to be talking #Folklore in the place where I bought my first pile of academic books @blackwells.bsky.social www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/owen-davie...

My young assistant today helped with witch-bottle making & my best audience yet - turns out that kids love getting messy and talking about curses, witches & urine @beinghumanfest.bsky.social

The folkloric belief that catching twelve falling leaves ensures good luck for a year = the perfect excuse to just stand here and wait long enough for twelve leaves to fall #AutumnVibes #Folklore

The ritual detritus of 6th November

Let’s try this again without my sausage fingers messing it up: Good birthday book post. “Muswell Hill in Photos” by Zoë Norfolk, and “Folklore - A Journey through the Past and Present” by @cerihoulbrook.bsky.social and @odavies9.bsky.social Both good research for my own writing.

Currently bed bound so to have this wonderful book by @odavies9.bsky.social and @cerihoulbrook.bsky.social turn up in the post is a double joy. Accessible, erudite and insightful as you would expect, but also gloriously entertaining and engaging.

We had a feeling the press would love the first findings from our survey - and we’ve been getting some wonderful coverage! Take a look at the press page on our website to see how it’s been reported so far.

It's November so I'm allowed to quietly whisper the word #Christmas, right? Sneaking in between my #Folklore promos I also wanted to point towards a book based on archival research but cosily fictionalised as magical realism - I wrote the book I'd always wanted to read

While in Colchester I popped into @waterstones.bsky.social to sign #Folklore - next stop the East Anglian Folklore Centre for an evening of #Halloween spookiness

Look what arrived, just in time for #FolkloreThursday! Very excited to read this!

Join leading experts @odavies9.bsky.social & @cerihoulbrook.bsky.social as they chat about their gripping new guide to the weird yet everyday world of British folklore, 'Folklore', at Blackwell's in Edinburgh on the 13th November. Tickets here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/owen-davie... #FolkloreThursday

MARI LWYD CHARITY AUCTION UPDATE We have had some wonderful arrivals from the brilliant cartoonist @jambookshopuk.bsky.social and wonderfully authors @cerihoulbrook.bsky.social @odavies9.bsky.social who donated a signed Folklore book to the auction Visit here: skullsandsheetsauction.wordpress.com

From making witch-bottles to sitting in historic ruins listening to spooky stories, 9th November is a date for your diary if you're in Herts - @herts.ac.uk & @beinghumanfest.bsky.social have teamed up to create a full programme of fun #Folklore family events. Come and join us!

Memorial love-locks alongside pebbles at this beautiful tiny chapel on the Llŷn Peninsula. Anyone who thinks these are just litter clearly haven't read the messages

Had a brilliant time in Oxford yesterday at the Philip Pullman talk. Then went over to @blackwells.bsky.social and found Everyday Folklore shelved next to my two fave folklorists (who've influenced me no end) @cerihoulbrook.bsky.social & @odavies9.bsky.social and their new book Folklore! 🥳 #Booksky

Tonight, besides the stormy sea, I've come to the Dragon Theatre to listen to Welsh stories of revenants, curses and suckling cats #happyspookyseason