Between Worlds: Folklore and Fairy Tales from Northern Britain

14 October 2017 - 25 February 2018

History of the Book Gallery, Palace Green Library

Close your eyes and picture a fairy. You might see a pretty, little thing with wings, eager to make all your wishes come true. This is the version of fairies that we know today, but there also exists a much older, very different idea of a fairy, that might not look and act how you expect. 

This temporary exhibition took its inspiration from medieval romance, ballads, and collections of folklore compiled between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries, which tell of encounters with otherworldly creatures and journeys into mysterious worlds. It presented a forgotten type of fairy tale, very different to those that we are familiar with in today’s popular culture. 

This exhibition was supported by funding from the Leverhulme Trust. 

A blog series featuring new writing from academics, artists, and curators ran throughout the duration of the exhibition. Visit the Between Worlds: Folklore and Fairytales blog to read more.