Author Interview: Lucy Harrington
What effect has folklore had on the way you see the world?
Folklore is in our DNA, it is woven into our subconscious understanding of life. I find it enlivening to connect with all elements of nature, to tune in to all that my body senses that my brain cannot compute. Life is the biggest mystery and to me it makes sense to believe in magic. Letting go of myself as a rational, logical being is a relief. By letting go of those parts of me, I feel closer to who I am. Folklore is a road map to these places both within me and outside of me.
Do you see folklore as resistance, and if so, to what?
I suppose I do. Folklore is about rejecting the mainstream narrative of logic over intuition, of rational thinking over deep knowing. Folklore is a release from capitalism, from the patriarchy, from all the beliefs that seek to repress me and keep me in my place. Folklore is a bid to connect to a bigger story, a more egalitarian story, a more magical story. To me, Folklore is an invitation to tune in to a deeper connection with existence, it is an acknowledgement that the stories we tell ourselves that allow society to function are nothing more than that, stories, which I can choose to believe or reject.
What role does folklore and speculative fiction play in our modern world?
Folklore keeps us connected to our dreams, to our subconscious, to the possibilities for change, to the knowing that we are more than our everyday lives might allow. It keeps us magical, mischievous, respectful, playful and more fully alive.
Do you think of folklore as a thing of fear and warning or of mysticism and magic? Or both?
Why choose one, when you can choose both.
What are the themes you are exploring?
I never really know what themes I am exploring. My best writing very much surfaces from my subconscious and is always a surprise. If I understand my writing, I find myself sermonic.
What folklore traditions do you take inspiration from?
I love the celebrations of samhain, bealtaine and the solstices. We are a part of the incredible tapestry of life on this Earth. It is easy to feel distanced from that, to feel that we are somehow separate. Consciously spending time with the energies of life that we swim amongst every day without paying any heed to their majesty and power. Dropping into how incredible it is to be alive on this rock, spinning around in this endless black sky, is inspirational for me.
What does folklore mean to you?
To me, folklore is an acknowledgement and recognition of all the energy that we feel that is outside the realm of everyday explanation. It is an ancient method of connecting to and intertwining with a deeper understanding of the world and our place within it.
If you were a cryptid or folkloric creature, which one would you be and why?
I’d be a witch, living in deep in the woods with my cats and many familiars. I would cast spells and make potions. Witches can feel the world in a way that I find fascinating. They are connected with all life and have deep relationships with both animals and plants. Witches are powerful, they live in the shadows, they live outside of society’s nonsense. All of this appeals to me.
Read Lucy's short story "The Pound Shop Goddess" in our first issue, out now!
[originally posted to Patreon on 24/8/25]
