Sophie Reck Pointon is the author of ‘The Monster of No Seeming’ in our folkloric anthology Oaths and Offerings. We’re delighted that this is her first published story!
We spoke to Sophie about her approach to folklore, portraying the relationship between siblings in stories, fabulous Northern bookshops, and stray sods.
How did you approach the theme of folklore?
It was like making a stew – I got a feel for what Carnyx Press was looking for by researching their suggested reading list and getting my hands on all the free material that I could find. These were the ingredients. I then read them all, which was preparing the ingredients and turning the hob on. I then slept on it for a few nights (equivalent to putting everything in the slow cooker). After that, I laid the table and served the stew.
Light-heartedness aside, the theme did call to me. For me, “folklore” is the distilled creativity of all the people who have walked where I walk, lived where I live, breathed the same air I breathe. It is all around me, written in the finest edges of the leaves and on the horizon of the moors. Having the chance to celebrate this was a real honour.
Were there particular folk histories, traditions or stories you drew from?
Folklore is oral, a communal experience. I wanted to capture that cosiness, that “created space” built out of words and closeness in my writing as well. I also wanted to move away from the tradition that the most significant, the most vital love is romantic love – I feel that sibling love (and, indeed, love between friends) is underrated, or I at least haven’t seen enough of it in popular media. Your sibling will always be part of your life because they are in your blood. This may be a good or a bad thing, but it is definitely a terrible and wondrous thing.
And yes, I will admit I was inspired by a good dollop of Little Red Riding Hood and the tradition of shepherding. There’s a lot of sheep in Yorkshire.
What advice would you share with budding short story writers?
Love what you do, and everything else will follow. People don’t always realise how powerful practice, determination and commitment are, and we are all capable of combining these three things… I would also add, do your research into what story competitions are looking for, what has worked in the past and if there is a particular feeling or atmosphere the judges are looking for. Constraints like set themes and wordcounts are not inimical to your imagination, they are
opportunities to learn and grow.
Could you tell us about your favourite Northern bookshop?
Do I have to pick one? I have spent many a happy hour after school in The Little Ripon Bookshop, which is like a cave full of paper jewels. Similarly, I also can’t resist The Minster Gate Bookshop in York because it’s like something straight out of a grumpy old book lover’s dream. Though I think when I die, I want to go to Barter Books in Alnwick. There’s a model railway that runs above the shelves, a cosy, firelit reading room and a truly offbeat playlist, need I go on…
Finally, do you have a favourite piece of folklore you’d like to share?
This is a hard one… I have always liked the idea of stray sods because it justifies my habit of wearing odd socks or (accidentally) putting on clothes backwards. Stray sods are tufts of enchanted grass or faeries disguised as a clump of grass, and anyone who steps on them will immediately lose all sense of direction. Wearing odd socks or inside-out clothes protects the wandering soul from the stray sods’ enchantment. I first came across this in The Spiderwick Chronicles.
Since we’ve moved outside of English folklore, I might as well throw in all of the Prose Edda. Norse mythology is probably the closest I am going to get to all the lost stories of pagan Britain. It’s a source of inspiration as much as it is a reminder of a challenge – we need to make up for all the forgotten material.
However, I would like to think my favourite piece of folklore is still out there, waiting to be discovered.
