Writing the Occult: Fae Literature and Books

A day exploring the mythology and folklore of the Fae and fairies, and how to incorporate them into your own writing!

See that ring of mushrooms in the clearing? Hear those tiny bells tinkling in the distance? Losing shiny objects from your home? Feel like the trees are watching you as you walk through the woods? You may just be in the presence of the fae.

More than mere mortals, but less than gods, creatures of the fae come in all sorts of flavours depending on where in the world they’re located. Generally associated with nature, they usually have magical powers and often an inclination to interfere with human lives. Why? Because they can.

In folklore, the fae show themselves in all sorts of ways: elves, nymphs, sprites, pixies, gnomes, leprechauns, faeries, trolls. What links them is their preference for the hidden, which makes them perfect subjects for occult tales.

Whether we’re talking about the Irish or Scottish sidhe, the Persian peri, the Mexican duendes, the Icelandic Huldufólk, or any of the myriad creatures found across the globe, we are in the presence of something special. And that’s what we’re going to explore in this next Writing the Occult—the dark, the light, and the downright cruel of these spirits of nature.

To do it right, we’re doing it a bit differently this time. We still have our traditional hour-long sessions with experts, but we’ve also called in a load more writers, academics and folklorists to help take us on a mini world tour from the comfort of our desks.

Confirmed speakers include:
• Elizabeth Dearnley
• Gabriela Houston
• Mark Norman
• Morgan Daimler
• Yvette Tan
• Komal Salman
• Villimey Mist
• Yve Chairez
• Avra Margariti
• Somto Ihezue
• Chinelo Sylvia Onwualu
• Tanya Akrofi
• Khaya Maseko
• Xueting C. Ni 雪亭

Exact schedule tbc

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