Event 63

Zakia Sewell – Finding Albion – Myth, Folklore and the Quest for a Hidden Britain

Zakia Sewell is on a quest for another Britain. Criss-crossing our island, the acclaimed broadcaster is seeking out a story that transcends divisive national myths and symbols. It’s to be found in otherworldly folk songs, ancient legends, Celtic rites and the stone circles punctuating our landscape. Her journey begins at the spring equinox in Glastonbury, where she meets neopagans reclaiming pre-Christian traditions. At Notting Hill Carnival, she hears cultural echoes passed along the slave routes from the Caribbean, and in a Cornish winter she asks if today’s new folk revival could unite a divided country. How might a mythical past inspire a brighter national future? Women’s Prize longlisted. She talks to local writer, Anna Whitwham.