Ceri Houlbrook
@cerihoulbrook.bsky.social
Author of 'Winter's Wishfall'. Folklorist. Mum. Northerner. Lecturer in Folklore & History. Eater of cake.
Loved talking about the history of letters to Santa on BBC Breakfast this morning 💌 🎁 🌲
December 5, 2025 at 9:25 AM
Loved talking about the history of letters to Santa on BBC Breakfast this morning 💌 🎁 🌲
If anybody wants to hear me babble (hopefully coherently) about my research into letters to Santa archives live on TV, tune into the BBC Breakfast Show this morning at 8:50ish...
December 5, 2025 at 7:23 AM
If anybody wants to hear me babble (hopefully coherently) about my research into letters to Santa archives live on TV, tune into the BBC Breakfast Show this morning at 8:50ish...
In today's Folklore Studies MA class we had the wonderful Sarah Bellisario talking us through her doctoral practitioner work on objects, ritual & emotion, did some creating ourselves along with some eating of Christmas themed snacks
December 3, 2025 at 7:30 PM
In today's Folklore Studies MA class we had the wonderful Sarah Bellisario talking us through her doctoral practitioner work on objects, ritual & emotion, did some creating ourselves along with some eating of Christmas themed snacks
Readers, again, it didn't work
December 1, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Readers, again, it didn't work
My thoughts are with all those households subject to the cheeky elf antics from tomorrow onwards. A long 24 days await. I'm taking a folkloric approach and protecting the hearth from their entry
November 30, 2025 at 3:53 PM
My thoughts are with all those households subject to the cheeky elf antics from tomorrow onwards. A long 24 days await. I'm taking a folkloric approach and protecting the hearth from their entry
Publication day! The Routledge Handbook of Heritage & Creative Practice is out today and it includes my piece on creative responses to the mass removal of love-locks along with some amazing pieces by some brilliant people www.routledge.com/The-Routledg...
November 29, 2025 at 9:58 AM
Publication day! The Routledge Handbook of Heritage & Creative Practice is out today and it includes my piece on creative responses to the mass removal of love-locks along with some amazing pieces by some brilliant people www.routledge.com/The-Routledg...
Arrived too early for a work appointment and the tide was low so had my first taste of Thames mudlarking. All it gave me were a quarter of a plate, a shoe sole, a wooden chair leg, and muddy boots (mine) - and I loved it!
November 25, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Arrived too early for a work appointment and the tide was low so had my first taste of Thames mudlarking. All it gave me were a quarter of a plate, a shoe sole, a wooden chair leg, and muddy boots (mine) - and I loved it!
All set up for greeting future folklorists at the University of Hertfordshire open day. May the maneki-neko beckon them over! #Folklore
November 22, 2025 at 11:14 AM
All set up for greeting future folklorists at the University of Hertfordshire open day. May the maneki-neko beckon them over! #Folklore
'Put some magic & romance into your #Christmas countdown with Ceri Houlbrook's enchanting & escapist debut novel', said one lovely reviewer of Winter's Wishfall. 'Cosy, speculative mystery with a good sprinkling of romance and magic' said another (the wonderful @meljrey.bsky.social I believe) ☺️
November 21, 2025 at 8:51 PM
'Put some magic & romance into your #Christmas countdown with Ceri Houlbrook's enchanting & escapist debut novel', said one lovely reviewer of Winter's Wishfall. 'Cosy, speculative mystery with a good sprinkling of romance and magic' said another (the wonderful @meljrey.bsky.social I believe) ☺️
I love getting @folkloresociety.bsky.social newsletter in the post - it's wonderful to see in print all the fascinating folklore people are encountering. I'm especially proud of this issue because one of my MA Folklore students reviewed an exhibition for it: Dark Secrets in London
November 19, 2025 at 12:52 PM
I love getting @folkloresociety.bsky.social newsletter in the post - it's wonderful to see in print all the fascinating folklore people are encountering. I'm especially proud of this issue because one of my MA Folklore students reviewed an exhibition for it: Dark Secrets in London
The littlun & I really enjoyed a spooky storytelling session with Olivia Armstrong in the atmospheric setting of Sopwell ruins as part of @beinghumanfest.bsky.social - we heard about the Green Lady of Hertfordshire (witch, fairy or ghost? It was up to us to decide) & the Tale of Little Grey
November 11, 2025 at 10:17 PM
The littlun & I really enjoyed a spooky storytelling session with Olivia Armstrong in the atmospheric setting of Sopwell ruins as part of @beinghumanfest.bsky.social - we heard about the Green Lady of Hertfordshire (witch, fairy or ghost? It was up to us to decide) & the Tale of Little Grey
Over 2 decades ago (ouch) I started my degree @edinburghuni.bsky.social - this will be my first time back to the city since graduating & I'm so excited to be talking #Folklore in the place where I bought my first pile of academic books
@blackwells.bsky.social
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/owen-davie...
@blackwells.bsky.social
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/owen-davie...
November 10, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Over 2 decades ago (ouch) I started my degree @edinburghuni.bsky.social - this will be my first time back to the city since graduating & I'm so excited to be talking #Folklore in the place where I bought my first pile of academic books
@blackwells.bsky.social
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/owen-davie...
@blackwells.bsky.social
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/owen-davie...
My young assistant today helped with witch-bottle making & my best audience yet - turns out that kids love getting messy and talking about curses, witches & urine
@beinghumanfest.bsky.social
@beinghumanfest.bsky.social
November 9, 2025 at 7:17 PM
My young assistant today helped with witch-bottle making & my best audience yet - turns out that kids love getting messy and talking about curses, witches & urine
@beinghumanfest.bsky.social
@beinghumanfest.bsky.social
The folkloric belief that catching twelve falling leaves ensures good luck for a year = the perfect excuse to just stand here and wait long enough for twelve leaves to fall #AutumnVibes #Folklore
November 7, 2025 at 10:02 PM
The folkloric belief that catching twelve falling leaves ensures good luck for a year = the perfect excuse to just stand here and wait long enough for twelve leaves to fall #AutumnVibes #Folklore
The ritual detritus of 6th November
November 6, 2025 at 9:05 PM
The ritual detritus of 6th November
It's November so I'm allowed to quietly whisper the word #Christmas, right? Sneaking in between my #Folklore promos I also wanted to point towards a book based on archival research but cosily fictionalised as magical realism - I wrote the book I'd always wanted to read
November 1, 2025 at 5:15 PM
It's November so I'm allowed to quietly whisper the word #Christmas, right? Sneaking in between my #Folklore promos I also wanted to point towards a book based on archival research but cosily fictionalised as magical realism - I wrote the book I'd always wanted to read
While in Colchester I popped into @waterstones.bsky.social to sign #Folklore - next stop the East Anglian Folklore Centre for an evening of #Halloween spookiness
October 30, 2025 at 6:17 PM
While in Colchester I popped into @waterstones.bsky.social to sign #Folklore - next stop the East Anglian Folklore Centre for an evening of #Halloween spookiness
From making witch-bottles to sitting in historic ruins listening to spooky stories, 9th November is a date for your diary if you're in Herts - @herts.ac.uk & @beinghumanfest.bsky.social have teamed up to create a full programme of fun #Folklore family events. Come and join us!
October 29, 2025 at 10:18 AM
From making witch-bottles to sitting in historic ruins listening to spooky stories, 9th November is a date for your diary if you're in Herts - @herts.ac.uk & @beinghumanfest.bsky.social have teamed up to create a full programme of fun #Folklore family events. Come and join us!
Memorial love-locks alongside pebbles at this beautiful tiny chapel on the Llŷn Peninsula. Anyone who thinks these are just litter clearly haven't read the messages
October 26, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Memorial love-locks alongside pebbles at this beautiful tiny chapel on the Llŷn Peninsula. Anyone who thinks these are just litter clearly haven't read the messages
Tonight, besides the stormy sea, I've come to the Dragon Theatre to listen to Welsh stories of revenants, curses and suckling cats #happyspookyseason
October 25, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Tonight, besides the stormy sea, I've come to the Dragon Theatre to listen to Welsh stories of revenants, curses and suckling cats #happyspookyseason
From making witch-bottles to sitting in historic ruins listening to spooky stories, 9th November is a date for your diary if you're in Herts - @herts.ac.uk & @beinghumanfest.bsky.social have teamed up to create a full programme of fun #Folklore family events. Come and join us!
October 24, 2025 at 12:01 PM
From making witch-bottles to sitting in historic ruins listening to spooky stories, 9th November is a date for your diary if you're in Herts - @herts.ac.uk & @beinghumanfest.bsky.social have teamed up to create a full programme of fun #Folklore family events. Come and join us!
From ghosts to gytrash, I had a great time discussing the folklore of the Brontës on the moors for this brilliant episode of HistoryHit TV, 'Death at the Parsonage' - watch it here: access.historyhit.com/videos/death...
October 16, 2025 at 8:00 PM
From ghosts to gytrash, I had a great time discussing the folklore of the Brontës on the moors for this brilliant episode of HistoryHit TV, 'Death at the Parsonage' - watch it here: access.historyhit.com/videos/death...
While in Bath I popped into @mrbsemporium.bsky.social to sign #Folklore (which is keeping excellent company with @karlbell.bsky.social) - and to add my name to the author luggage tags hanging from their ceiling with their respective pens - a piece of folklore in itself!
October 15, 2025 at 6:08 PM
While in Bath I popped into @mrbsemporium.bsky.social to sign #Folklore (which is keeping excellent company with @karlbell.bsky.social) - and to add my name to the author luggage tags hanging from their ceiling with their respective pens - a piece of folklore in itself!