Welcome
I am a folklore researcher, author and broadcaster. I began my career as a journalist at the Sheffield Star and spent four years working as a Press Officer. But my passion was always for folklore and in 1999 I completed a PhD in Folklore at the National Centre for English Cultural Tradition, University of Sheffield. I moved to Sheffield Hallam University in 2005 where for two decades I taught journalism and media law before I was promoted to Associate Professor. Working with colleagues who shared my interest in folklore, I co-founded the Centre for Contemporary Legend research group at SHU in 2018. I was Project Lead the AHRC-funded National Folklore Survey for England until I left the university in 2026 to return to full-time writing and broadcasting. My books include The Angel of Mons, How UFOs Conquered the World and Space Age Folklore that will be published by Reaktion in 2027. Contact me by email at furnival.news at googlemail.com
Tag Archives: BBC
How UFOs Conquered the World – without firing a shot
BBC History Magazine/History Extra published my article that explains how the idea of visitors in mysterious flying objects grew from its origins in the Cold War into the most enduring modern myth. You can read the main feature here (password … Continue reading
Portillo’s State Secrets: Mysteries
The BBC2 series Portillo’s State Secrets unearths previously classified documents from The National Archives, revealing fascinating facts from Britain’s past. The episode on 26 March covers ‘Mysteries‘ and I have compiled this blogpost for The National Archives to accompany the … Continue reading
Angels makes FT Top 40
My investigation of the First World War legend, The Angels of Mons, is among the top ‘all time favourite stories’ chosen by a panel of contributors to Fortean Times magazine. ‘Angels of the Battlefield‘ – published in 2003 – came 4th … Continue reading
UFOlogy: Dead Again?
On 4 November The Sunday Telegraph posed the question that has been asked many times before: What is the point of UFOlogy (the ‘study of UFOs’). “Having failed to establish any evidence for the existence of extraterrestrial life, Britain’s UFO watchers are … Continue reading
The Scottish Roswell?
Picture the scene: A shepherd visiting a remote area stumbles upon strange wreckage strewn across the ground which could be the remains of a crashed spaceship. The debris consists of pieces of unusual metal and strange drawings. On reporting his find … Continue reading
Mystery Booms
It’s a familiar story. Police and emergency services inundated with phone calls from concerned members of the public who have heard or seen something unfamiliar in the sky. Last month it was a spectacular fireball meteor. This month it was … Continue reading
Fireball lights up northern sky
Hundreds of people reported seeing a fireball meteor that lit up the night sky across parts of northern England at 9.40 p.m. on Saturday, 3 March. Some excellent footage of the fireball has been posted on YouTube and can be … Continue reading