The History of Folk Horror

Discover how folk horror explores haunted landscapes, hidden histories, and why the past still unsettles us today. Followed by Q&A. Why do specific locations and landscapes remain associated with fear and Gothic storytelling? When we talk about folk horror, we’re really talking about places and stories that don’t just sit quietly in the background; they press on the imagination. They make the past feel close, and sometimes uncomfortably alive. Join Prof Robert Edgar as he traces how the term folk horror became popular, exploring its first wave in the 1970s through to today, before looking back to its roots in the 18th and 19th centuries. From Thomas Hardy to The Wicker Man and beyond, we will consider how writers and filmmakers return again and again to the idea that the past is never truly past. Together, we’ll explore how these stories show that the past continues to influence the present, and that early experiences, including those from childhood, can still affect us today. Doors open at 5:30pm, talk starts at 5:45pm - come down early to grab a good seat! Follow us on IG @seedtalks Speaker Bio: Prof Robert Edgar is Professor of Writing and Popular Culture in the York Centre for Writing at York St John University, UK. He is one of the series editors of Bloomsbury Academic, Spectres, Hauntings and Horrors.