This collection of macabre stories set across England explores class, hierarchy and the enduring nature of inequality
F
olk horror may have had a dramatic resurgence in recent years, but it has always been the backbone of much of our national storytelling. A new anthology of 10 stories set across England, Bog People, brings together some of the most accomplished names in the genre.
In her introduction, editor Hollie Starling describes an ancient ritual in a Devon village: the rich throw heated pennies from their windows, watching those in need burn their fingers. Folk horror by its nature is inherently connected to class and hierarchy. Reverence for tradition is a double-edged sword – or a burning-hot coin.
She also notes the complexity of self-identification as working-class. “For the purposes of this collection,” Starling writes, “contributors were asked to consider if they grew up in circumstances of low social, cultural and economic capital and/or asset wealth, and that regardless of their current circumstances and lifestyle that they could write authentically from that point of view.”
