Why Wyrd? Why folklore? Why now?

‘Folk horror’ is gaining academic attention, and is beginning to be applied as a generic term to media including film (The Wicker Man, 1973, Kill List, 2011) , television (like The Stone Tape, 1972), and 'hauntological' music and online blogs (such as Ghost Box Records and Scarfolk). A more general public resurgence of interest in 'folk horror' has gained new audiences, with dedicated folk horror revival fan-events and publications. My own PhD, in part, examines why British 1970s television is so often cited by current folk-horror film and television makers as a central influence upon their lives and work. Due to the keen interest of the academic community, and the broader ‘buzz’ of the folk horror revival, my director of studies David Clarke and I hope to launch a Centre for Contemporary Legend at Sheffield Hallam University by organising one of the first academic conferences dedicated to folk horror and all things 'wyrd'. We aim to bring attention not only to the significance of 'wyrd' media but also folklore in folk music, art, photography, local history and heritage. With a traditional academic conference element at its core, the event will appeal to a number of disciplines including folklore studies, screen studies, journalism and history. We also seek to engage audiences beyond academia with a musical showcase of popular folk (and hauntology) music, exhibitions of calendar customs and folk heritage, and screenings with Q&A sessions with respected writer-directors (some of whom I am interviewing for my studies).