Tracey Norman Author

@traceynormanauthor.bsky.social

2783 Followers 801 Following

Dark Folklore -The History Press. Who Is Anna Stenberg? -Liminal Books. Author, historian, voice actor, creator of woolly things & art. Tutor Intro to British Witchcraft - Learn for Pleasure. Project Mgr - Folklore Library. http://traceynormanauthor.com/

Graphic advertising an online talk - red, yellow and white writing on a black background : "SLAY: The world's first book on female dragon slayers. Saturday 25th July, 8pm, via zoom. Join author Jasmine Elmer in conversation. Tickets £5 plus booking fee: bit.ly/flaevents." The FLA Online logo is the the bottom lefthand corner.
Image of a pretty diamante butterfly brooch on a teal-coloured card, from Pop Up Studio. The butterfly is pink and green, and has a banner across it which reads 'What fresh hell is this?', a quote attributed to Dorothy Parker, who would quip, 'What fresh hell can this be?' if her doorbell rang. (And doubtless at other times, too).
Poster for the Folklore Library & Archive and The Academy of Magical History's online Festival of Magical History An online exploration of our magical past Saturday 11 April and Sunday 12 April 2026, 2pm - 9pm Speakers: Rebecca Beattie, John Callow, Marion Gibson, Jeremy Harte, Anna Milon, Joan Passey, Diane Purkiss, Mark Stoyle Tickets: £10 per day, £15 for the weekend (+booking fee) at bit.ly/flaevents Recordings available for ticket holders This is a fundraising event for The Folklore Library and Archive Registered Charity no 1203418
A small white-sheet ghost holds a sign saying 'BOO'.
Screen grab of a post: *demon stands amid your destroyed work space* Demon: *booming* HOW? How were you able to summon me?! You (frantically clicking Undo) *screaming and crying* I don't know. I was just trying to format an outline in Word. You were supposed to be bullet points.
Folklorist Mark Norman, in an excellent shirt featuring a design of calaveras skulls, delivers a talk in Screaming Skulls. He stands at a lectern to one side of a screen, showing a human skull with a large red cross next to it, and the words '0/10 Must try harder' beneath the cross
Dr Emma Probett sits in front of a screen bearing the presentation title 'Dracula and Survival Cannibalism'
Occult illusionist David Alnwick holds up some cards to an audience
Mark Norman and Jon Dear talk all things 'A Ghost Story For Christmas' at the 2026 UK Ghost Story Festival in QUAD Derby.
Panel discussing new angles on ghosts at the 2026 UK Ghost Story Festival. (L-R) Tracy Fahey, Alex Davis, David Alnwick, James Everington, sitting on a stage with a screen behind them giving details of the panel and their names.
Screen showing details of a panel at the 2026 UK Ghost Story Festival discussing Folklore in Fiction and featuring authors Tracy Fahey, Francesca May, KC Adams, Tracey Norman and chaired by folklorist and author Mark Norman
Panel at the 2026 UK Ghost Story Festival discussing the ghost story in modern publishing. (L-R) Suannah Wise, Daniel Carpenter, Ally Wilkes, Will MacLean and Francesca May. The screen behind them gives details of the panel and their names.
Shot of a panel mid-discussion at the 2026 UK Ghost Story Festival. (L-R) Dan Coxon, Susannah Wise, Catriona Ward, Alison Moore and Richard Farren Barber at QUAD Derby's Metro Cinema. The screen behind them shows details of the date, panel, and their names.
Shot of the cover of a notebook featuring the crew manifest of the USCSS Nostromo. I never fail to be amused that it includes 'Jones: cat'.
Author Catriona Ward chats to festival organiser Alex Davis at the 2026 UK Ghost Story Festival at QUAD Derby.
Impressionist Steve Nallon presents extracts from his wonderful collection of ghost stories at this year's UK Ghost Story Festival.
Victoria Langford discussed Derbyshire as a gothic landscape, alongside a slide showing a line of trees in the fog, silhouetted against a pale sky
(L-R) Mark Norman, Alex Davis and Tracey Norman talk folklore, books and witchcraft at the 2026 UK Ghost Story Festival in Derby.
Screen projecting slide titles Twists in the Ghost Story and giving the contact details for workshop leader Alex Davis.
Willow Winsham and Tracey Norman at the UK Ghost Story Festival (day1) at QUAD Derby.
Shot of Dan Webber after his presentation on Day 1 of the 2026 UK Ghost Story Festival at QUAD Derby. The screen shows a promo shot of Cynthia Eriva as Dracula in her acclaimed solo show.
Shot of a screen featuring the talk title 'Out for the Count: Queer Reflections of Dracula', the first talk of the 2026 UK Ghost Story Festival, presented by Dan Webber
Shot of foyer at QUAD Derby, the home of this year's UK Ghost Story Festival. Image shows part of the coffee shop, the info board with the programme details, and part of the extensive popup bookshop.
Shot of Lyme Regis in Dorset, England, on a typically overcast, cold day in February. The town nestles at the foot of a hill, the beach stretching past in both directions. To the right, we see the Jurassic cliffs, showing signs of the recent landslips which have occurred. James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, landed here in 1685 with the intention of deposing James II. The people involved in the witch trial described in 'In the Footsteps of the Invisible Witch' would undoubtedly have been spectators to this momentous event.
A poster for the Christmas Craft Market at the Ship Hotel, Crediton, on Sat 6 Dec from 10am -2pm. It advertises over 20local businesses including pottery, books, jewellery, jam & chutney, wool crafts, art and honey. Mulled wine and cider are available, the market is located over three floors, there is 10% off food for market customers, and free entry to the market.
A collage of nine numbered photos of Tim Curry featuring different characters and expressions.
Vintage postcard in an album. Titled 'Aosta - arco d'Augusto'. Image shows a large stone arch built over a rough road. There are a few people walking near the arch, showing that it is a substantial structure, several storeys high. The pillar on the right side appears to be damaged - there is what looks like a large rectangular void at its base, like an open doorway which is about two storeys tall. Above it, the stone blocks are rough and look like they are carrying significant impact damage as those immediately above the void are misaligned and look as though they have been pushed backwards into the structure; they are bo longer aligned with the rest of that part of the façade. There are trees to the left of the arch and a building to its right. Through the arch itself, the street continues, with buildings and trees stretching away from the viewer into the distance. On the horizon, a hill rises, with a large, pale building with a turret on the peak. A beam or pole has been attached to the arch at the point where it begins to arc, and a large crucifix has been attached to this, so it is positioned centrally above anyone who passes under the arch. The arch has a pitched roof with two small pennant- type flags flying from the top. There is no discernable printer/trader information on this postcard and the back is blank except for guide lines for the address.
A stack of books by Mark and Tracey Notman - Black Dog Folklore, Britain's Folklore Year, Telling the Bees and Dark Folklore.
A chocolate jelly in the shape of a rotund capybara. Cutest dessert ever. And it was delicious!
Shot of the setup for a life drawing session. In the foreground, we see the corner of an easel, with a pencil and eraser balanced on it. Beyond, a blackberry-coloured drape provides a backdrop to a small table with a chair standing on top of it for the model to lean on.
Shot of a mini figure of the spectre Pipes from Stephen Volk's Ghostwatch. He's standing on a hotel bedside table.
A 'shelfie' featuring Britain's Folklore Year' by Mark Norman, 'Devon's Forgotten Witches 1860-1910' by Tracey Norman and Mark Norman, and 'Ghostlore' by Icy Sedgwick, all on display in The Bookery, Crediton's independent bookstore.
Sales table featuring the books of Mark Norman and Tracey Norman, including WITCH, Black Dog Folklore, Devon's Forgotten Witches 1860-1910, Who is Anna Stenberg? and Dark Folklore.
Author and folklorist Mark Norman, and author and historian Tracey Norman with Carl and Dominic from Crediton's independent bookshop The Bookery, before discussing their books Devon's Forgotten Witches 1860-1910 and Britain's Folklore Year.
Author's sales table
Image shows a tiny figurine of 'Pipes', the entity in Stephen Volk's brilliant GHOSTWATCH. In an unusual daytime sighting, Pipes, with his long, dark dress-like garment and his ravaged face, is inspecting my various Dracula DVDs.
Merch haul from the brilliant Hell Tor Festival from Carrion Events, which takes place in the Exeter Phoenix. Image shows the following titles: issue 46 of Haunted Magazine; Borley Rectory DVD; flyer for Claire Louise Amias's one woman show Haunted Shadows - the gothic tales of Edith Nesbit (currently on tour, so check it out and see if it's on near you); Steve Nallon's Ghost Stories; House of Psychotic Women by Kier-La Janisse; The Good Unknown by Stephen Volk; The Frighteners by Peter Laws and Satanic Panic by Kier-La Janisse. In the centre is my VIP pass for the festival (I was one of the speakers).
Photo of a laptop and part of a box of vintage books on a table. The vintage books are part of a large donation to The Folklore Library & Archive in Devon, and this box is full of books about childhood, language and children's lore.
Poster advertising a live event from The Folklore Library and Archive on Oct 7, 2025, at 7.30pm at Crediton's Boniface Centre. The wording reads: 'The Folklore Library and Archive presents a free event - The National Folklore Survey for England - Meet the team and learn about the first major survey of English beliefs and identity for decades. The Boniface Centre, Tuesday 7 October 7.30pm. Refreshments available. Free event. Book a place at the library (Crediton Library) or online at bit.ly/flaevents or by email at folklorelibrary@gmail.com'
Shot of woman sitting behind a table, glass of red wine in hand. In front of her are some audiobook CDs for sale. The woman is happy because she has fulfilled her obligations for the weekend and is now free to relax. Yes, the woman is me. :)
Roller banner advertising the 2025 Hell Tor Film Festival, featuring Caroline Munro, Pauline Moran, Stephen Volk, Graham Humphreys, Jonathan Rigby, Steve Nallon, Claire Louise Amias, Peter Laws, Lee Rawlings, Tracey Norman and Mark Norman. A hooded, faceless figure is reaching out towards the viewer. Below, a group of spectral figures walk through the ground fog towards a spooky-looking old house. Above them are the words 'Conjure all your ghosts'.
Shot of a building at night. The shop banner reads 'Back to the Belgrave' and above the door is a large sculpted human skull wearing a hat. The skull and hat are grey, and the painted background is in shades of teal, with silhouettes of palm trees.
Shot of Mark and Tracey Norman dressed up as Fred and Velma from Scooby Doo, for their live show based on Mark's book Zoinks! The Spooky Folklore Behind Scooby Doo.
Shot of a bookshop window displaying 'Devon's Forgotten Witches 1860-1910' by Tracey Norman and Mark Norman.
Shot of a sales table, prominently featuring 'Devon's Forgotten Witches 1860-1910' by Tracey Norman and Mark Norman, published 2025 by The History Press. The book has a pointillage cover in purple, the design featuring a central lozenge containing the title and authors' names, and a woman's hands beneath, from which playing cards and potion bottles swirl around the lozenge. Behind, there are other books written by the Normans.
Vintage postcard in an album. Titled 'Aostra - Anfiteatro' and produced by '15 (Dep) J Neer.' Image shows part of the ruined stone wall of an amphitheatre, with three sets of windows. The lowest floor has a series of small rectangles, the middle floor has small arched windows, while the top has three large arched windows. Beyond the ruins is a cluster of small buildings of different sizes and shapes.
Shot of 12 cupcakes in a white box, with a brown ribbon tied around them. The cupcakes are chocolate and vanilla, and each has a topper which features the cover design of Joanne Harris's latest novel 'Vianne'. They were presented to Joanne by @folklorelibrary.bsky.social to celebrate the US release of Vianne this week!
Promo image for the first in a series of online talks from registered charity The Folklore Library and Archive. The image has a photo of Dr Icy Sedgwick (Fabulous Folklore podcast) and a circular seal in pale green, with 'L&A' in black lettering in its centre over white foliage, and 'The Folklore Library and Archive www.folklorelibrary.com' in black lettering around the outside of the circle. The wording on the image reads: 'Lecture: Northern Spiritualism - Talking to the dead in Manchester and Newcastle'. At the bottom of the image, beside the charity's seal, is the logo for the lecture series, whoch reads 'FLA Online'.
Vintage postcard in an album. Titled '833 Val d'Aosta - Castello d'Ussell'. This postcard hasn't aged well, and much of the detail has been lost. The image shows a castle perched atop a rocky outcrop with the steep slopes of a mountain range in the background. The slopes are dusted with snow, and cloud nestles between two of them. The castle and the outcrop on which it stands are mainly in silhouette. The castle is rectangular, one narrow and one long end visible to the viewer. There are three towers along the long side, one of each corner and the third in the centre. There are a few small, straggly trees dotted around. 'Cartolina Postale Italiana' is printed on the reverse of the postcard.
Shot of an easel holding a multimedia canvas featuring the iconic profile image of Boris Karloff as Frankenstein's creature in blue tones. The artist is @traceynormanauthor.bsky.social. The background is deep blue. At the bottom are extracts from Capt. Robert Walton's letters, and top left is an extract from one of Elizabeth Lavenza's. An assortment of beads, buttons, leather scraps, dried flowers and trinkets decorate the canvas. On the right, in a small gold frame, are the words 'Soon these burning miseries will be extinct'.
Vintage postcard in an album. Titled '667 (D E P) J Neer - Val s'Aosta - Castello di Fenis'. Image shows a small castle with large and impressive mountain ranges in the distance behind it, the furthest peaks dusted with snow. This image has not aged well and a lot of the detail has been lost in the darker areas. In addition, the perspective makes the footprint of the structure tricky to determine. The castle has three slim towers along one wall, in front of which are single-storey lean-to shelters, with a ruined section beyond them. The wall facing the camera appears to have two round towers, with a larger, more substantial square/rectangular one to the left of the structure. In the foreground, we can see rough fences made of of sticks. A few trees grow to the left behind the castle anda couple more are peeking out from around the walls on the right hand side.
Vintage postcard in an album. Titled '3775 Hospice & Lac du Gd St Bernard (alt 2472m) côté Suisse'. Image shows a small cluster of buildings next to a lake in a valley between some large, steep, impressive mountain ranges. The slopes are completely devoid of trees and look like there is scant or no vegetation. Four of the buildings have several storeys; the other two appear to have just one. One of these single storey buildings looks like it has been built into the slope. There are two tracks leading to the buildings and then beyond - one follows the line of the lake quite closely at roughly the same altitude, while a second runs parallel to it but further up the slope. These tracks pass through the buildings and continue past them. The background is completely filled with the huge snow-capped peaks and a cloudless sky. This postcard was produced by Seal Édit. d'Art R: E. Chapaliaz fils. Lausanne.
Image showing the Amazon Best Sellers Rank for Devon's Forgotten Witches 1860-1910 by Tracey Norman and Mark Norman, published 21.8.2035. 25,270 in Books; 8 in British Historical Biographies 1701-1900; 16 in Historical Biographies 1701-1900; 28 in Witchcraft.
Vintage postcard in an album. Titled 'J. J. 4007 Au Grand St Bernard - Barry, le préféré du père Clavendier'. Image shows a priest in a long robe with buttons down the front, and a headdress/hat. His left hand rests on the shoulders of the dog sitting beside him, and he is looking down at the dog, who is giving the camera/photographer a bit of side eye. This is Father Clavendier and his favourite St Bernard, Barry. Barry is a magnificent beast. The two of them are standing outside an open doorway, through which we see a carved, arched ceiling disappearing into the darkness beyond. This postcard was produced by Jullien frères, Phot. Editeurs, Genève.
Shot of the new book Devon's Forgotten Witches by Tracey Norman and Mark Norman, published by The History Press and released 21.8.2025. The book rests on a blue and white checked cloth, next to a cup of tea in a pale blue and white teacup with gold decorations standing in a matching saucer. There are autumn berries and foliage around the book.
Vintage postcard in an album. Titled '5. Rhémy (Aosta) - m. 1552 Ultimo paese d'Italia verso il Confine Svizzero'. Image shows a small cluster of houses in a valley between tall, steep mountain ranges. A small road or track leads from the front of the shot away from the viewer towards the houses. The slopes to left and right are covered with pines, and those on the horizon are imposing and dusted with snow. The postcard was produced by '016593 Ed. Libr. Brivio - Aosta', and the white strip on the right of the image indicates that it was cut from a book of postcards.
Shot of a sales table at a book fair, with almost the entire collected works of Tracey Norman and Mark Norman arranged on a black tablecloth.
Gorgeous frontage of an old building in Ross-on-Wye. Its part-timbered upper storeys are painted in black and white, as we see in the mock Tudor style, but this looks more like the real thing. The ground floor us divided into two shop units - Chinese Medicine on the left, Tudor Sweets on the right. To the left of Chinese Medicine, a narrow arch leads into a dark passageway. This is Pigs' Alley, which once led to a slaughterhouse. Photo by me.
Vintage postcard in an album. Titled 'Grand St Bernard. Le lac, le Monument et l'Hospice'. Image shows a small cluster of large utilitarian buildings with several storeys, nestled in the valley between three large moutain ranges which rise steeply away from the valley on all sides. In the foreground is a small lake, with a path around it, leading from the hospice buildings to a statue on a stone pillar in the bottom right hand corner of the shot, on the far side of the lake to the buildings. The statue is of St Bernard, and is a man in robes, carrying a bishop's mitre and holding a staff in his right hand. His left hand is outstretched in front of him. The landscape looks rocky and barren, with no sign of plant life - there are no trees or bushes, just rocks, impressive mountain peaks and the buildings. The postcard was made in Switzerland ('Fabrication Suisse') and was produced by Dép.-Nr. 17010m Edition Guggenheim &Cie., Zurich.