5 Caledonian Road
Wed 16 Sept · 19:00 · £163
Elizabeth Sulis Kim and Brigid Lowe in conversation The bear deities, Artio and Artaius, who’ll rise from sleep; the salmon of wisdom who gifts understanding of the universe’s past, present and future; the Lion Man carved 40,000 years ago. Three determined women plot against an ambitious sorcerer, they are queen Goewin, the reclusive sorceress Arianrhod, and Blodeuwedd, a woman conjured from flowers. What can we still learn from the ancient, half-forgotten mythologies of these isles? What can they teach us about ourselves, about sex, gender and the role of women in folklore? Two new works at these complex questions in different, equally engaging and exciting ways. Elizabeth Sulis Kim’s The Book of Beasts (Penguin, 2026) is modern bestiary with an ancient heart, in it we meet twelve emblematic animals that can help us restore our relationship with the natural world. Steeped in folklore, mythology, magic and religion, The Book of Beasts tells the story of our shapeshifting relationships with animals, from reverence to persecution, friendship to fear, awe to indifference. It asks us what we actually know about the creatures we share this world with – and offers us a different way of living together. Whereas Brigid Lowe’s novel The Bloody Branch draws out from celtic mythology some strikingly contemporary concerns. Three powerful heroines unite to avenge themselves on the most dangerous man in ancient legend, Gwydion a powerful sorcerer whose ambition and cruelty wreak havoc across the kingdom. When at last the earth itself is put at stake, Goewin, Arianrhod and Blodeuwedd each unleash their uncanny powers to challenge him. In this vital and visceral novel, Brigid Lowe casts ancient light on desire, sex and our relationship with nature to bring these Celtic heroines to explosive, sensuous, blossoming new life. We are delighted that Brigid and Elizabeth are able to join for an evening of discussion on the common themes in their work; they will be talking about folklore, the occult, Ancient Albion and unruly women. Our Speakers: Elizabeth Sulis Kim‘s writing has appeared in places such as BBC Culture, Mslexia, Hellebore, Fiddler’s Green, Litro, The Guardian, The Independent, Refinery29, and the LA Review of Books. She is the founding editor of Cunning Folk, the popular independent magazine about magic, mythology, folklore and the occult. She grew up in the rural West Country and now lives in Scotland. Brigid Lowe grew up in a remote Welsh-speaking community on Ynys Môn, with her younger sister and Irish immigrant parents. She now lives with her children in that part of Scotland known as Yr Hen Ogledd – The Old North – formerly joined with Wales in one Cumbric nation. She studied literature at Bangor, completed a doctorate at Oxford, and went on to teach and research at Sheffield and Cambridge Universities, publishing a book and many essays on the art of fiction. Brigid traces her descent from travellers, circus performers, mill workers and gallowglass warriors. She takes photographs of flowers, forages her food, clambers pinnacles, and swims in ice and caves and bottomless pools. As always, tickets are priced on a sliding scale. If you are unable to pay for a ticket please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected], and a free ticket will be made available. If you choose ‘book + entry’ your copies of the book will be available to collect on the evening. If you would like to collect it earlier, or arrange for delivery, please contact us (postage is £2.95). Telephone 020 7837 4473 or email [email protected]. Doors Open at 6:45pm, Event Starts 7:00.
Not the same tradition as the lineage above — a genuinely different thread to pull, if you want one.