The first in my new series of four titles of Tales of the Turning Year, in a new larger format, based on the seasons, nature and folklore, The Lightbringers is a story of hope and that the light will always return, even in the darkest of days.

When light recedes from the land, Autumn’s fruitfulness is replaced by Winter’s cold, bleak stillness. But deep within the ground, in the cracks and crevices where the small creatures live, the light lives on, protected and cherished. And when the Hare calls, those that keep it know how to respond.

The Lightbringers. A story of hope.

The midwinter solstice provides the focal point for a journey by the little creatures as they seek to return light to earth, but it is a journey that evokes the traditions of the Mari Lwyd walking the villages of Wales and Wassail songs being sung in the orchards. This book contains the story of The Lightbringers and a brief introduction to the myth and legend surrounding the season and festivals of midwinter.

Suitable for readers of all ages.

A perfect Yule time gift for friends and family, loved ones you are missing, a token of hope in these uncertain times.

Each page has a small hand drawn illustration linking to the season and story by Tamsin Rosewell and at the back there are some notes on the British traditions mentioned in the story by Pamela Rowe.

20cm square 48 pages published by Graffeg. £12.99

The nights are drawing in, it is now getting dark when I leave the shed for the evening to plod back to the house. Dark mornings, we are well on our way to Autumn and Winter with dark nights and short days.
Wales is going into full lockdown again, so I'll be alone in the Shed for a couple of weeks. I'll still be able to post out items from my shop but otherwise there's no socialising or visiting or such. Bad timing with a new book coming out, as I was hoping to be able to go and sign a few books for shops, but we are finding ways round things, being like water and finding new routes at every boulder that we meet.

I'm working with Graffeg and Tamsin Rosewell (who drew the page header illustrations) from Kenilworth Books to do a few things to make the publication day special even without physical events or book signings and such.
I've been frantically sorting and organising and chasing and sorting and we now have a plan!

In a way it is a perfect time to launch a new book, as we usher in the dark half of the year with Samhain and as we lockdown and hunker down... A book about hope and knowing that we just have to be steadfast, hold our inner light safe within us, keep going, and keep going and Spring will come again, the light will return again.
The book is not aimed at children, though of course it is fine for them too. It is a book for everyone. A small story of hope and a nod to that hidden world that many of us know is there, if you are just quiet of heart enough to look.

This month has a second full moon in it. Known as a blue moon on the 31st October. How wonderful. Once in a blue moon... maybe whatever we wish for will happen.

There will be a Zoom book launch on the 12th November at 7.30pm. Hear a little about the book, a reading of it and a chance to ask questions and have a little bit of a chat together. While we cannot meet in person, we can at least have a moment to wave at each other and perhaps all light a lantern… do join us if you can.

Our years are full of bookmarks that mark the year. School terms starting, summer holidays, Christmas, Easter. We place ourselves in the year and seasons and sometimes notice the darkening days, the colours of the trees… but there are a lot of older markers, folklore, festivals and days to track our journey through the year.

While we talk of people not knowing what a wren or acorn are, we are also losing the ancient wisdom, the markers of the turning year that help us hold our place and show us what was and what is to come. We know who we are when we know where we came from.

What is left is often a mishmash of cultures and religions and old pagan wisdom so we celebrate Easter with eggs and chocolate and Good Friday all together. Older customs are mixed in with new ones, which is just how it should be I think but we don’t need to negate one to notice the other.

Going back to neolithic times, people have celebrated the sun, moon and passing seasons. We have feasts, mark the moments and know that the sun will return, Spring will come.

Troll Tree if ever I saw one. Here’s a link to an article about some of the creatures I grew up with

I grew up with a mix of cultures and heritages. Sweden has a much stronger folklore culture, children dress up as witches at Easter and Tomte brings your presents at Yule. I grew up with this, as well as the British festivals but I knew that trees turned into Trolls at night, that Tomten lived on the lands and would help if we cared for them. I grew up with John Bauer, Elsa Beskow and the Moomins. A different world existing alongside ours if we only stopped to look.

I put porridge out for Tomte on Christmas eve. I believe the world is full of creatures going about their business just out of sight of us, but if we are still and quiet and knew when and where to look, we might catch a glimpse. Most cultures have such tales.

I love the British celebrations and folklore, though so many are being lost and forgotten. How many of us now bake a Lammas loaf? Or know not to eat blackberries after Michaelmas? These ancient tales mark the turning of the year and have wisdom still relevant. No matter what else happens, the days grow darker and then the sun returns again. Flowers blossom and harvests are gathered in.

There has been a resurgence of interest in nature and folklore in recent times. During lockdown many seemed to notice nature again, so many talked of hearing the birds singing, reconnected with it. I found it reassuring that whatever else was happening in the world, the flowers grew, berries ripened, fruit fell from the trees and the light grew brighter and warmer and now it is becoming dark again.

I did however find my usual markers had gone. Events I would do, visits to my family in Sweden had gone. How do I know where I am in the year when I haven’t been to Sweden for the summer yet?

When our usual bookmarks have gone, perhaps the turning of the year and marking the seasons can give us stability and hope, whatever else happens.

It is getting dark, we are at the mid point between the equinox and midwinter solstice. Soon the light will start lengthening again. Spring will come.

The Lightbringers sprang from I don’t know where in my heart. An ancient wisdom from my ancestors perhaps. A feeling for the dark days of winter, that we need darkness. Light needs darkness to shine. We need rest, recuperation. The wisdom of the earth is one we can learn from. We are in a busy busy keep going fast track, don’t stop rush noise of a world. Doing nothing is frowned upon but really we all need rest, time to pause, like the seeds in the earth, darkness and rest before we dance again. Central heating and lighting mean we keep going all year round but our bodies often yearn for the hygge of Autumn, cuddled up by the fire.

I spent my childhood growing up knowing there are small creatures busy doing their own thing parallel to our lives and most don’t notice them. I always looked for them. I was sure I was a Huldur type creature, I used to look for my tail. I was sure I should have one. I still think I should have one.

When I expanded the original story card and blog for the book I wanted to emphasise the folklore elements of the year turning, to place it in the season. To be a story of hope, that the light will return. Of how the earth moves and turns through the year and to notice those festivals that happen and mention them, like mentioning birch or alder rather than just tree.

To name something is to see it. Speak it. Remember it.

So I wanted to mention midsummer, autumn and harvest loaves, the mid winter solstice and some of the traditions that exist particularly round my part of Wales. The Mari Lwyd tradition and Wassailing. Ancient folklore, customs still being kept alive by some today. Sometimes we feel we can’t make a difference, that alone we don’t really matter, or can’t do much, The Lightbringers shows how it is the smallest of creatures, who are steadfast in their task, that bring the light back. They might stumble or falter, but they will gather and find others and walk and walk until their job is done. This might give us courage to keep going on our own tasks.

This time of year is full of festivals associated with light as we draw into the darkness. Samhain/Halloween, Martinmas, Lucia Day, Yule, Christmas, Candlemas… we need that image of some light in the dark. Holding our own light safe till it can shine again. I think Diwali may also hold similar themes.

There is a double page spread in the back with some notes very kindly written for me about the folklore and traditions of the Mari Lwyd and Wassailing that are mentioned in the book, by Pam Thom-Rowe.

We talked about ideas of borders to the pages and such, I felt it needed a little something on the page and talking through with Tamsin Rosewell ideas of leafy borders came out. The Oak and Holly Kings, small things hidden in them… she offered to draw some little images for me and I am so grateful that she did. We went through the book suggesting one for each page. You can have fun finding the meaning and symbolism and hidden things.. I hope you love them as much as I do.

We are working together to have a social media #TheLightbringers event that everyone can join in with. Look out for another blog on the 28th October with details.

Picture books don’t have to be just for children, they can be for adults too. Lose yourselves for a moment and know that whatever else happens, the earth will dance again, the flowers will come and the light will return.

Preorders from me will get a signed/dedicated book with a free sticker sheet sent with their book.

Preorders from Kenilworth Books will get a doodle from Tamsin in the book and a bookmark. They have free UK postage so perhaps you could get a copy from each and give one to someone who might need a little message of hope… I will be signing some of their books for them too.

Thank you for helping launch this little gentle story of the turning of the year. There will be another 3, one for each season but for now, let us welcome in the light together.

The Lightbringers

Gathering the Light

Letters from the Shed