The Government is planning to send King Charles to the US to celebrate with Trump. Giving him a royal visit right now sends a terrible message that his behaviour is acceptable. We can stop this if enough of us speak up. Will you add your name to the petition? you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/ca...

Another post from the archives which I look in detail at the Grimms' fairy tale 'Maid Maleen' and investigate its emotional depth as a story that delves unusually deeply for fairy tales into the trauma caused by abandonment and suffering. steelthistles.blogspot.com/2019/06/maid...

'The elders told how in the ‘white night’ of the Arctic summer a rope would be stretched between two trees to signify a gateway to the sky, and as the sun rose the gateway would be filled with aromatic smoke from two bonfires...' steelthistles.blogspot.com/2020/12/flyi...

Happy holidays, everyone! steelthistles.blogspot.com/2020/12/flyi...

A wintry Russian fairy-tale of an ill-used maiden, her cruel stepmother and step-sisters, and the spirit of winter himself - Father Frost! steelthistles.blogspot.com/2021/12/fath...

A gorgeous paperback edition of the superb FROM SPARE OOM TO WAR DROBE: TRAVELS IN NARNIA WITH MY NINE YEAR-OLD SELF by kathlangrish.bsky.social ‘The best book ever about why we love Narnia!’ Francis Spufford. Available now: www.hernebooks.com/product-page... #Narnia #CSLewis

Lovely on a very wet morning to receive copies of the paperback of my book about the Narnia stories - 'From Spare Oom to War Drobe' published by Herne Books and available from UK bookstores and Amazon. As you can see, I'm very happy.

I love this wonderful, teasing and spooky summer tale! It's the work of the Norwegian writer Jonas Lie, who was a contemporary of Henrik Ibsen, and it tells the tale of a drummer boy who climbs up into the Blue Mountains and meets some troll girls... steelthistles.blogspot.com/2023/08/the-...

From the archives, a post about the Wild Hunt and the Fairy Rade. And when did ordinary people stop being afraid of the fairies? steelthistles.blogspot.com/2021/03/from...

We want the media and politicians to recognise that there is a large number of women who are supportive of the trans+ community. We call on them to report truthfully about the sources of violence against women and to address the systems that perpetuate harm. notinourname.org.uk/petition/not...

A post for lovers of C.S. Lewis's adult novels as well as of the Narnia series - an investigation of how his characterisation of women evolved over the years. steelthistles.blogspot.com/2022/06/the-...

I have some good news; there's an essay of mine (called 'The Door in the Mound' in this book: 'Writing the Magic: Essays on Crafting Fantasy Fiction' published 18th of this month by Dead Ink. Contributors include Juliet E McKenna, Francesco Dimitri, Hannah Kaner & many others. I love the cover!

The Silver Apples of the Moon, The Golden Apples of the Sun Why are apples so evocative? Why was the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil assumed to be an apple? Why did golden apples of immortality grow in the Garden of the Hesperides...? steelthistles.blogspot.com/2025/09/the-...

Is a young girl still sleeping in a sunken ship under the sea? steelthistles.blogspot.com/2021/11/folk...

An old post about some very much older stone heads. steelthistles.blogspot.com/2019/03/haun...

A rather lovely elfin poem by Lord Dunsany. steelthistles.blogspot.com/2023/05/the-...

A guest post by Garth Nix who very kindly wrote me this piece for my blog quite a few years ago - entitled 'Where The Monsters Lurk' and exploring his remarkable world - the Old Kingdom! steelthistles.blogspot.com/2018/10/wher...

A lovely guest post by science-fiction writer Gwyneth Jones, who also writes for children as Ann Halam, on 'The Princess as Role Model'. Her book for children, 'Snakehead', is a wonderful reimagining of the Perseus and Andromeda legend! steelthistles.blogspot.com/2025/07/the-...

Friend and fellow-blogger Cathrin Hagey posts an interview we did together a few years back - all about fairy tales, magic and enchantment. www.cathrinhagey.com/an-interview...

On clocks and clockmakers. steelthistles.blogspot.com/2019/01/time...

Is Lewis Carroll's Alice really 'an ordinary' little girl? steelthistles.blogspot.com/2025/06/alic...

Early Eowyns? An old ballad tells how the daughters of a wronged knight become shieldmaidens and take revenge on his murderer. steelthistles.blogspot.com/2019/05/sist...

So this isn't topical; it isn't Hallowe'en, but good ghost stories are always welcome... aren't they? steelthistles.blogspot.com/2021/10/true...

On springtime, The WInter's Tale, and Shakespeare's flowers steelthistles.blogspot.com/2021/03/the-...

A post about the May morning celebrations in Oxford, ten years ago now! steelthistles.blogspot.com/2021/05/may-...

Good news - may there be much more!

‘Trans women have never felt like a threat’: women’s refuges grapple with supreme court ruling

In which I channel Dylan Thomas and consider the art of writing. steelthistles.blogspot.com/2020/02/our-...

"There is a line of Homer, which I forget, which tells of mules going up a mountain pass: and you can hear the clatter of their hooves..." Lord Dunsany on poetry - part 2: steelthistles.blogspot.com/2022/08/lord...

That feeling when you are ready to swap your first-born for a really crisp lettuce (Rapunzel, 1968) Artist: Eric Winter

"Between prose and poetry I find it so difficult to define the line, that I have never known at what point prose strays over it.." Lord Dunsany, writing on prose and its rhythms. steelthistles.blogspot.com/2022/08/duns...

"Nothing at all separates a poet in China from a poet in Ireland: both feel that beauty is sacred and is the outward and obvious expression of what is right and fitting..." - Lord Dunsany steelthistles.blogspot.com/2022/07/lord...

"I don't want a Disney vacation of our history! I don't a whitewashed history, I don't want a homogenized history. Tell me the wretched truth about America, because that speaks to our greatness" -- 20 hours into his speech, Cory Booker is spitting absolute 🔥

A post for Mothers Day, remembering mine. steelthistles.blogspot.com/2025/03/the-...

Protect student protesters - stop doxxing and deportations action.eko.org/a/protect-st... - Do sign this if you can!

This wonderful short story about a selkie, by John Masefield. steelthistles.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-...

I wrote a ballad, and if it has more than a flavour of Charles Causley, that's because I love his poetry. 'River Voices' steelthistles.blogspot.com/2025/03/rive...

This is a post from a while ago, but as the subject is peaceful, magical and charming, I felt it might do us all good. steelthistles.blogspot.com/2018/12/faer...

That’s right. 🇺🇦

The story of Sergeant Davies who 'vanished as if the fairies had taken him' not long after the Battle of Culloden, and whose 'ghost' bore witness to his own murder. steelthistles.blogspot.com/2025/02/the-...

I love my hometown, But Kyiv has the most special part of my heart ❤️ I am having a #warcoffee in one of my favourite places. And grateful for those who protect my love day and night.

Well blow me down, whatever did we do before Mrs Badenoch turned up to save us?

President Zelenskyy has been one of the greatest leaders of our time, guiding Ukraine through the darkest period of its recent history, rising up to Russia’s unwarranted aggression, being an inspiration to the Ukrainian people and ensuring that Ukraine’s voice is heard on the world stage.

In praise of excellent genre books! steelthistles.blogspot.com/2017/11/its-...

More about fictional witches, mostly from children's literature. steelthistles.blogspot.com/2020/08/witc...

Some of the witches in children's fiction! steelthistles.blogspot.com/2020/08/wick...

Lady Gaga’s speech after winning Best Pop Duo Performance with Bruno Mars: “Trans people are not invisible. Trans people deserve love. The queer community deserves to be lifted up. Music is love, thank you.” #GRAMMYs

First of three posts about witches; this one's about "Goddesses, Queens and Witch-Queens". steelthistles.blogspot.com/2020/09/godd...