English Folk Tales of Coast & Sea

About this event

England is a maritime nation. Our folklore and history is peppered with tall tales of the high seas: mysteries of the great ocean, the unknown world beneath the surface of the salt sea, and the liminal coast where the sea-gods meet our lives on the land.

Join us for an evening with popular author and professional storyteller Lisa Schneidau, as she presents stories from her new collection of traditional folk tales from the coasts and seas of England. Lisa retells the old stories with a contemporary twist: dragons and monsters, sailor heroes and ghost ships, mermaids and shapeshifters. Come and be immersed in these salty sea stories, and learn about England’s heritage, magic and relationship to the mysterious ocean world that surrounds us.

This event will be followed by a book signing.

Lisa Schneidau’s book will be for sale at its cost price of £14.99 during the event, or we are offering a special pre-order deal of £18 for a ticket & book option.

Lisa Schneidau is a professional storyteller, sharing stories that inspire, provoke curiosity and build stronger connections between people and nature. She tells stories at theatres, festivals, schools and events all over the UK. Lisa trained as an ecologist, and for twenty-five years she has worked with wildlife charities across Britain to restore nature in land, river and sea. She is the author of Botanical Folk Tales, Woodland Folk Tales and River Folk Tales, all published by The History Press. She lives on Dartmoor in south-west England.

lisaschneidau.co.uk

‘Lisa Schneidau has an environmentalist’s eye and a storyteller’s heart, weaving together both precision and passion in this utterly engaging new collection of seafaring stories. The author has dived deep into the ocean of folktales and legends from every corner of coastal England, pulling up a treasure-hoard of shimmering stories that deserve to be shared widely. A few of the tales I was aware of, but many were brand new to me – a testament to her diligence and delight in researching the source material. As someone who lives by the sea, this feels like a book to be dipped into often and enjoyed as much as the salty sea itself.’ — Martin Maudsley