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/

Join The Folklore Podcast Patreon community at:

https://www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

You can support the podcast with a small monthly donation, or elect to be a FREE member.

Folklore Podcast host Mark Norman chats with special guest, broadcaster and author Jeff Belanger, about some of the ghosts, folklore and other legends found in New England, in the north-eastern corner of the United States.

Jeff is the host of 'New England Legends' on Amazon Prime Video, co-host of a podcast of the same name, and has written for and appeared on 'Ghost Adventures'. His book, 'Wicked Strange' provides a coffee-table collection of the stories covered on this episode and much more.

This episode is rounded off with a folk music recording from the archives of American folklorist and singer Ellen Stekert. This previously lost recording of 'Golden Apples of the Sun', performed by Dave Van Ronk, was recorded in 1966 and has been recently remastered as part of the Ellen Stekert Project.

Find out more about Jeff on his website at https://jeffbelanger.com/

Learn more about Ellen and the project to digitise her archives at https://ellenstekert.com/

Join the Folklore Podcast Patreon page at https://www/patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast to access extra content and support the show. There is plenty of free content available, and enhanced material for those who want to sign up for a small monthly amount to support the work of the show.

Mark Norman is joined by broadcaster, author and medievalist Dr Eleanor Janega to look at the role of the ghost in the medieval period.

What elements of the behaviour of the ghost might we still recognise today? What was the view and the role of the church when it came to ghosts? Did people use ghosts for entertainment as we do now?

You can find out more about Eleanor, her broadcasting and her writing on her website at https://eleanorjanega.com/

Support The Folklore Podcast on Patreon to get extra content at https://www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast - free and paid tiers available.

The Folklore Podcast returns to its original first principles for the first show of Season 11, with an episode written and presented by creator and host Mark Norman.

The episode is a short exploration of the role of proverbs in folklore, and its writing was inspired by a new music track, 'Breadcrumbs' by artist Amy Hopwood which you can hear at the end of the show.

Watch a video version of this podcast on YouTube at https://youtu.be/Rn6R_FnqV-Y

You can visit Amy's website and get links to her music and art at https://amyhopwood.co.uk/

Visit the Folklore Podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast where you can join as a free member for additional episodes. Upgrade to a paid membership later and access even more bonus material.