There are so many great books coming out in the first half of 2020. A few Cunning Folk contributors and readers have collated a list of the books we’re most excited about. Thankfully we’re restricted by genre or this would be a much longer list. We have grimoires, books introducing new spiritual paths, on folklore, and re-connecting with the natural world. Fiction-wise, expect tales of the weird, uncanny, magical realism and stories inspired by myth.
In the Dream House: A Memoir by Carmen Maria Machado - chosen by Elizabeth Sulis Kim
Imprint: Serpent’s Tail
Release Date: 02/01/2020
In the Dream House is a memoir about Machado’s time in an emotionally abusive relationship. Her phenomenal short story collection Her Body and Other Parties drew inspiration from folklore, fairytale and followed in the footsteps of Angela Carter’s strangeness and Shirley Jackson’s haunted mind—this memoir does too. Machado is conscious that her experience mirrors that of others, and she identifies the fairytale tropes and motifs she should have seen coming. Still she emphasises this is a story worth telling, when so many other authors of stories about same-sex relationships feel a pressure to downplay dysfunction. This is a stark reminder that we can learn about ourselves and our own experiences through reading stories. Machado so well depicts the sense of wonder that draws us to something, or someone, and the spectral echoes of tumultuous lives that go on haunting a place long after we’ve left it.
Outside the Charmed Circle by Misha Magdalene - chosen by J. P. Humphrey
Imprint: Llewellyn Publications
Release Date: 08/01/2020
Outside the Charmed Circle is an exploration of gender, sexuality, and embodiment in magical and polytheist practice written for all readers, whether queer or straight, cis or trans. Misha has a voice that is clear, accessible, pointed & direct when necessary, humorous and tangential when the mood strikes. Thought-provoking & amusing writing on @PatheosPagan blog made me a fan. Plus footnotes!
Of Cats and Elfins by Sylvia Townsend Warner - chosen by Elizabeth Sulis Kim
Imprint: Handheld Press
Release date: 20/01/2020
’Sylvia Townsend Warner was one of our finest writers,’ reads a cover endorsement from Neil Gaiman. Handheld Press have published some incredible anthologies in recent years, reminding us of the existence of female writers of the weird, the fantastical, and the uncanny. Sylvia Townsend Warner is perhaps best known for her slim novel, Lolly Willowes, featuring a defiant spinster who forgoes the life expected of her and instead becomes a witch. Handheld Press introduced new readers to her work in the reprinted short story collection Kingdoms of Elfin. The remaining short stories are to be published in Of Cats and Elfins, alongside the unpublished tales of The Cat’s Cradle Book. I’m a major cat lover so this was always going to be a winner for me.
Black Dog Folklore by Mark Norman - chosen by Elizabeth Sulis Kim
Imprint: Troy Books
Release Date: 20/01/2020
Most of us who grew up in rural England can recall a local story about a black dog haunting our streets. Says the publisher: ‘Apparitions of ghostly Black Dogs have been seen in England for nearly a millennium and yet a comprehensive information source has never been published. Author and researcher Mark Norman (Devon, UK) delves deep into the largest Black Dog archive in England, providing a comprehensive study of sightings with an extensive gazetteer of over 750 eyewitness sightings as well as references from folklore traditions.’
Pine by Francine Toon - chosen by Lucie McKnight Hardy
Imprint: Doubleday
Release Date: 23/01/2020
‘It’s a beautifully crafted gothic tale of isolation and not belonging, thoroughly gripping and stunningly atmospheric,’ says Lucie McKnight Hardy. ‘I can’t wait to see it out in the world — and just look at that cover.’ The publisher’s description: ‘In the shadow of the Highland forest, Francine Toon captures the wildness of rural childhood and the intensity of small-town claustrophobia. In a place that can feel like the edge of the word, she unites the chill of the modern gothic with the pulse of a thriller. It is the perfect novel for our haunted times.’
Rootbound: Rewilding a Life by Alice Vincent - chosen by Elizabeth Sulis Kim
Imprint: Canongate
Release Date: 30/01/2020
Recommended to readers of Olivia Laing, Amy Liptrot and Alys Turner, Rootbound explores how we can discover another part of ourselves by reconnecting with plants. Rewilding is an increasingly hot topic, particularly among those of us in cities like London, where nature can seem inaccessible. Says the publisher: ‘Mixing memoir, botanical history and biography, Rootbound examines how bringing a little of the outside in can help us find our feet in a world spinning too fast.’
The Island Child by Molly Aitken - chosen by Polly Crosby
Imprint: Canongate
Release Date: 30/01/2020
Twenty years ago, Oona left the island of Inis for the very first time. A wind-blasted rock of fishing boats and sheep’s wool, where the only book was the Bible and girls stayed in their homes until mothers themselves, the island was a gift for some, a prison for others. Rowan Hisayo Buchanan says 'Aitken stitches together many themes--folk-legend, family saga, love story, coming of age tale. The result is the sort of book you want to sink into a hot bath with and not emerge until it's finished.'
Unknown Language: A Science Fiction by Hildegard Von Bingen and Huw Lemmey - chosen by Elizabeth Sulis Kim
Imprint: Ignota Books
Release Date: 03/02/2020
This is a story inspired by the work of the 12th century Christian mystic, polymath and visionary, Hildegard of Bingen. She created her own language, Lingua Ignota, the purpose of which is still unknown; in her illustrated Scivias, she described strange visions, today attributed to migraine or temporal lobe epilepsy. Here Huw Lemmey takes over in and history becomes interwoven with speculative fiction; these Scivias, we learn, got lost during the collapse of the information age, and in the future fragments of the lost text are found by Pinky in an amethyst sea cave on the planet Avaaz. ‘Unlocking the secrets of viriditas, Hildegard's mythic quantum energy threaded throughout her communiqués, provides the seeds for humanity's rebirth on Avaaz. Lingua Ignota, Hildegard's visionary 'unknown language', arrives just in time for a world in flux, one whose coordinates are being recast.’
Warriors, Witches, Women: Mythology’s Fiercest Females by Kate Hodges
Imprint: Aurum Press
Release Date: 04/02/2020
From the cover star Medusa, with her snakes for hair, to feminists fairies, to seductive voodoo goddesses, Kate Hodges introduces readers to some of mythology’s fiercest females. Each profile is paired with illustrations from Harriet Lee-Merrion.
The Living Wisdom of Trees by Fred Hageneder
Imprint: Watkins Publishing
Release Date: 11/02/2020
A reprint of the popular book published in 2005, this is an illustrated guide to the natural history, symbolism and healing power of trees. The author looks at the significance we humans have attributed to 55 varieties of tree, and their place in world myth, magic and folklore.
Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor - chosen by Elizabeth Sulis Kim
Imprint: Fitzcarraldo Editions
Release Date: 19/02/2020
‘The witch is dead,’ begins Hurricane Season, set in a fictional Mexican village. Immediately we know she will never speak for herself, though she will remain the subject of discussion, spoken about from a distance. Fernanda Melchor writes with a style reminiscent of Bolaño, interrogating the subject through the villagers, who rely on gossip and hearsay to form a portrait of a lady who has been ‘othered’. Central to this book are themes of misogyny, superstition and prejudice. This is a brilliant translation from the Spanish original by Sophie Hughes.
Escape Routes by Naomi Ishiguro - chosen by Molly Aitken
Imprint: Tinder Press
Release Date: 06/02/2020
Characterised by its own brand of pleasingly unsettling magic, this short story collection is inventive with a fairy-tale allure. Whether snared in traps artfully laid for them, or those of their own making, the characters in this collection yearn for freedom and flight. Neil Gaimon says 'Naomi Ishiguro flits playfully between genres. She threads magic through carefully observed realism. This is a writer whose voice I hope to be following for many years to come.'
A Tall History of Sugar by Curdella Forbes - chosen by Molly Aitken
Imprint: Canongate
Release Date: 06/02/2020
Discovered amidst a tangle of sea grape trees by the childless Rachel Fisher, baby Moshe’s provenance is a thing of myth and mystery; his unusual appearance, with blueish, translucent skin and duo-toned hair, only serves to compound his mystique. Jennifer Egan describes it as 'captivating from the first page.'
The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave - chosen by Molly Aitken
Imprint: Picador
Release Date: 06/02/2020
After a storm has killed off all the island's men, two women in a 1600s Norwegian village struggle to survive against natural forces and the men who have been sent to rid their community of witchcraft. Madeline Miller has described it as 'visceral and immersive; the muddy, cold life and politics of a fishing village leap to vivid life.'
Bad Island by Stanley Donwood - chosen by Callum James
Imprint: Hamish Hamilton
Release Date: 13/02/2020
A graphic novel for our times. As the Island moves from primeval wilderness to civilisation an apocalyptic, dystopian, modern myth unfurls, and rehearses the history of our species in stark monochrome.
An Excellent Booke of the Arte of Magicke by Phil Legard and Alexander Cummins - chosen by Elizabeth Sulis Kim
Imprint: Scarlet Imprint
Release Date: Late February 2020
The Excellent Booke and Visions chronicles the magical experimentations of Sir Walter Raleigh’s half-brother, Humphrey Gilbert, transcribed from the Elizabethan manuscript held by the British Library. In the publisher’s own words: “The Excellent Booke and Visions are, as Legard writes in his Preface, ‘unique documents of sixteenth century magical practice: ones that deserve to be widely read and studied by scholars and practitioners alike since they preserve a detailed account of both the making and the use of a grimoire.’ Dr Alexander Cummins’ and Phil Legard’s essays on necromancy and grimoire magic help contextualise this work and present it to new readers.
The Bell in the Lake by Lars Mytting - chosen by Yasmina Floyer
Publisher: Hachette
Release Date: 19/03/2020
This historical novel is the first instalment in a trilogy written by the author who penned Norwegian Wood: “Norway, 1880. In the secluded village of Butangen at the end of the valley, headstrong Astrid dreams of a life beyond marriage, hard work and children. And then Pastor Kai Schweigaard comes into her life, taking over the 700-year old stave church with it’d carving of pagan deities. The two church bells were forged by her forefather in the sixteenth century, in memory of conjoined sisters Halfrid and Gunhilde Hekne, and are said to have supernatural powers…”
The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey - chosen by Molly Aitken
Imprint: Peepal Tree Press
Release Date: 02/04/2020
A novel that weaves together myth and magical realism to tell a story of a cursed woman denied a rite of passage, surrendering to romantic and erotic love. March 1976: St Constance, a tiny Caribbean village on the island of Black Conch, at the start of the rainy season. A fisherman sings to himself in his pirogue, waiting for a catch–but attracts a sea-dweller he doesn’t expect.
Sharks in the Time of Saviours by Kawai Strong Washburn - chosen by Molly Aitken
Imprint: Canongate
Release Date: 02/04/2020
In 1994 in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, seven-year-old Nainoa Flores is saved from drowning by a shiver of sharks. His family, struggling to make ends meet amidst the collapse of the sugar cane industry, hails his rescue as a sign of favour from ancient Hawaiian gods. Author Benjamin Percy calls it 'a volcanic powerhouse of a debut.’
The Magical Writing Grimoire: Use the Word as Your Wand for Magic, Manifestation & Ritual by Lisa Marie Basile - chosen by Elizabeth Sulis Kim
Imprint: Fair Winds Press
Release Date: 21/04/2020
For writers who love the author’s Light Magic For Dark Times and US-based Luna Luna Magazine, The Magical Writing Grimoire is sure to delight. What to expect: ‘Part guided journaling practice, part magical grimoire, The Magical Writing Grimoire explores the transformative power of ritual and writing, showing you how to incorporate writing as a magical tool to live a ritualistic life, create healing, manifest your visions, set intentions, and amplify spell-casting.’
Trollrún by Nicholaj De Mattos Frisvold - chosen by Callum James
Imprint: Scarlet Imprint
Release Date: 2020, unspecified
The Northern Traditions are less well known in Britain than they should be. This is a book of folk and cunning magic, packed with spells, mythology, star lore, runes, curses and sacrifice. As an insight into Scandinavian traditional magic it promises to be without equal.
Sisters by Daisy Johnson - chosen by Yasmina Floyer
Imprint: Johnathan Cape
Release Date: 02/ 07/ 2020
“Johnson’s previous publications include a debut short story collection Fen, hauntingly atmospheric with elements of folklore woven throughout. Her novel that followed, Everything Under is an innovative retelling of the Oedipus myth and was shortlisted for the Man Booker in 2018. It is no wonder, then, that I eagerly await her next novel, Sisters. The press release on the Penguin website describes the book as follows:
“After a serious case of school bullying becomes too much to bear, sisters July and September move across the country with their mother to a long abandoned family home…Inside the house the tension among the three women builds, while outside the sisters meet a boy who tests the limit of their shared experience...With it’s roots in psychological horror, Sisters is a taut, powerful and deeply moving account of sibling love…”