Rebel Folklore: 50 Empowering Spirits, Witches and Misfits, from Baba Yaga to Anansi

＂Meet 50 fascinating folktale characters and discover how these flawed heroes and relatable villains of ancient stories remain relevant today. Rebel Folklore gathers 50 fascinating folktale characters from around the world, showing readers why we should care about the rebels and misfits of ancient stories. Folktales were humble stories, passed down generations by those on the fringes of society- women, peasants, outcast groups. Across the world, these ancient stories are filled with strange characters, complicated figures who hold up a mirror to the world that dreamt them up. From outspoken women cast as witches to anti-authority figures denounced as criminals, flawed heroes to relatable villains, Rebel Folklore celebrates 50 of these misfits and what they mean for us today. Whether it’s Muma Padurii, the Romanian forest witch who terrorizes trespassers to protect the environment, or Robin Hood, everyone’s favourite lawless activist, we can learn a lot from the rebels of days gone by- how to speak out, embrace our flaws, and be unashamedly ourselves - even if that means being a cannibalistic swamp witch＂--Publisher’s description.

Icy Sedgwick is a folklore blogger and host of the Fabulous Folklore podcast. In addition to writing about folklore, she has also written several dark fantasy, supernatural and horror novels. She has been fascinated by the occult, unusual and bizarre for as long as she can remember. She is based in Northumbria, the UK.

Melissa Kitty Jarram is a China born and South East London based artist working across digital and traditional mediums for clients such as Bethany Williams London, WePresent, Adidas and Nike. She embraces not only the beauty, but the hardships of the female experience and the violence inherent in life through her illustrations, paintings and moving image pieces. Her work is suffused with mythology - an extensive source of inspiration that, to this day, still unearths the depths of human nature and lends an invaluable insight into human psychology. Breaking ’the male gaze’ is important to Jarram as she continues to explore and interpret the female form.