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: Edward Gardner
Away with the fairies: Cottingley photos exhibition
Five photographs of fairies dancing at the bottom of a Yorkshire garden that became ‘the world’s longest running hoax’ are the focus of a compelling new exhibition. The Cottingley fairies legend began in the summer of 1917 as the Great … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Brotherton Library, Cottingley fairies, Edward Gardner, Elsie Wright, fairies, Frances Griffiths, Geoffrey Crawley, hoax, Merrick Burrow, National Science and Media Museum, photographs, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Strand, Theosophy Society, University of Huddersfield, University of Leeds
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