On a sunny March morning in Bunhill Fields, a burial ground in central London, broadcaster Zakia Sewell is musing over whether folk traditions can really be an antidote to far-right nationalism.
The 32-year-old writer and BBC Radio 6 DJ has been mulling that question over for some time as she journeyed around the British Isles exploring the nation’s folk resurgence for her debut book. Finding Albion: Myth, Folklore and the Quest for a Hidden Britain builds on Sewell’s hit audio series for BBC Radio 4, which saw her seek out a different, more inclusive idea of “Britishness” beyond the usual national myths and symbols. The book has been longlisted for this year’s Women’s Prize for non-fiction.
