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Fantasy February Festival
Celebrating Folklore and Customs
Friday 19 to Friday 26 February
Kensington Central Library holds a large Customs and Folklore Collection. To celebrate and promote it, we organise the annual festival of talks.
This year we have a fantastic selection of events to illustrate the many aspects of this beautiful collection.
Expect lots of folklore, a bit of customs, all mixed with some esotericism - there is something for everyone!
All events are FREE so come along!
It's a great way to spend a gloomy February evening.
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Lodging in Georgian London with Gillian Williamson
 Friday 19 February, 6.30pm to 7.30pm
For all their apparent elegance of appearance, the new streets and terraces of Georgian London were, in all but the most elite locations, very densely occupied.
In addition to the household, their servants and apprentices, there were many who lodged in one or two rooms the household could spare. Some of these lodgers were famous, like Jonathan Swift, Lord Byron or John Keats, others more obscure.
This talk by historian Gillian Williamson looks at how a newcomer to Georgian London found a room and what life was like in a crowded house shared with strangers who were there to subsidise the household budget.
About the speaker:
Dr Gillian Williamson originally read Classics at Cambridge and then worked in the City as an adviser on mergers and acquisitions, returning to university to study for an MA and then PhD in history at Birkbeck, University of London.
Dr Williamson has published on the eighteenth-century Gentleman’s Magazine, as well as obituaries of women at the time, vestry politics in the parish of St George Hanover Square. She is currently researching life in lodgings in Georgian London.
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Folklore of London with Antony Clayton
 Monday 22 February, 6.30pm to 7.30pm
This illustrated talk that will uncover some of the colourful and varied folklore of London. Antony Clayton will provide a glimpse into legends, quaint customs and ceremonies that marked our city's history through the ages.
Why is a red rose carried on a cushion through the streets of The City on Midsummer morning? Where do London's two bun ceremonies take place, what is Beating the Bounds and who was Spring-Heeled Jack?
If you ever wondered about London's pagan origins or modern urban myths, this talk is for you!
About the speaker:
Antony Clayton is the author of a number of books, including The Folklore of London, Decadent London, Secret Tunnels, London’s Coffee Houses and Netherwood: Last Resort of Aleister Crowley.
He lives in Hastings.
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Mediaeval Buildings Myths with James Wright
Tuesday 23 February, 6.30pm to 7.30pm
'This inn is made from shipwreck timbers!' - Tall-ship tales from the Great British Pub.
One of the most tenacious mediaeval building myths is that many timber-framed buildings, often public houses, were constructed from salvaged ship timbers. And not just any old ships! The tale is often elaborated to add a layer of enigma and romanticism by mentioning the Spanish Armada or battle of Trafalgar.
Are these just harmless folktales intended to hook in the boozers, or can we genuinely find the timbers of lost ships in the rafters of the village watering hole? Find out from an award-winning buildings archaeologist, James Wright!
About the speaker:
James Wright is buildings archaeologist with two decades professional experience who hopes to find meaningful truths about how ordinary and extraordinary folk lived in the mediaeval period.
James has worked in several areas of the heritage sector and has experience as a field archaeologist, conservation stonemason, community archaeologist, historic stone specialist, archival researcher and historic graffiti specialist.
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Torlonia Marbles Uncovered with Olga Cuckovic
 Wednesday 24 February, 6.30 to 7.30pm
The blockbuster Torlonia Marbles exhibition in Rome came to an abrupt halt shortly after its long-awaited opening in October. Our Roman envoy, Olga Cuckovic, was one of the lucky few who saw the exhibition before it closed and will tell us the remarkable story of Torlonia marbles in this beautifully illustrated talk.
The jewellery giant, Bvlgari, financed the restoration of 92 carefully chosen pieces, which make up the collection we are going to explore tonight.
As the world waits for the exhibition to open again, let's pay it a virtual visit and get acquainted with ostensibly the greatest private collection of ancient art in the world.
About the speaker:
Olga Cuckovic is a licensed Tour Guide of Rome and the Vatican City and has managed tours in Italy and Croatia for over 30 years, working for some of the best tour operators for luxury travel. She specialises in private tours for families and individual custom-made itineraries.
A lover of art, she obtained her Master’s degree in Arts Management at the American University of Rome last year and has added to that a TEFL certificate in the lockdown.
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The Return of Holy Russia with Gary Lachman
 Thursday 25 February, 6.30pm to 7.30pm
Explore Russia’s long history of mysticism and apocalyptic thought with author Gary Lachman
At the turn of the 20th century Russia was undergoing a powerful spiritual and cultural rebirth. It was a time of magic and mysticism that saw a resurgence of interest in the occult and the creative intensity not seen in the West since the Renaissance.
This was the time of the God-Seekers, pilgrims of the soul and explorers of the spirit who sought the salvation of the world through art and ideas.
In his latest book, The Return of Holy Russia, our guest Gary Lachman discusses this 'occult revival' with a look at Rasputin’s prophecies, Blavatsky’s Theosophy, Roerich’s Red Shambhala and the philosophies of Berdyaev and Solovyov.
Gary Lachman is the author of a number of books on culture, consciousness and the western esoteric tradition.
He has written about the influence of esotericism on politics and society in his Dark Star Rising: Magick and Power in the Age of Trump and his latest offering, The Return of Holy Russia. You can find a full list of his titles here.
Gary writes for several journals in the UK, US, and Europe, and his work has been translated into several languages.
A founding member of the rock band Blondie, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. He lives in London.
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British Women in India with Katie Hickman
 Friday 26 February, 6.30pm to 7.30pm
We close the Festival with this interview with the fascinating Katie Hickman, the Sunday Times bestselling author of She-Merchants, Buccaneers & Gentlewomen - British Women in India.
In her latest book, Katie uncovers the stories of the first British women to set foot in India in the very early seventeenth century, two and a half centuries before the Raj came into being.
In stark contrast to the languid memsahibs of popular imagination, these women were tough adventurers, their voyages extraordinarily daring leaps into the unknown. India was the British 'wild east', and many women succeeded in building a new and often independent life for themselves.
Katie will discuss this and her other books in interview with Nina Risoli, the Collections Officer in Kensington Central Library.
About the speaker:
Katie Hickman is the author of two bestselling works of non-fiction, Daughters of Britannia - in the Sunday Times bestseller lists for 10 months and a 20-part series for BBC Radio 4 - and Courtesans. She has also written a fascinating trilogy of historical novels which have been translated into 20 languages.
Born into a diplomatic family, she had a peripatetic childhood, growing up in Spain, Ireland, Singapore and South America.
She has two children and lives in London.
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Fringe and more
The Heart of a Heartless World by Sarah Gray
 Tuesday 16 February, 7.30pm to 8pm
Racontesse, friends Sarah, Jo and Alodie, have set out to champion short stories through a series of 30-minute Supper Clubs.
The February Short Story is The Heart of a Heartless World, written by our guest speaker, Sarah Gray.
It is a 'found' Victorian pamphlet, ostensibly written in 1896 by naturalist, Henry Scott, which warns against an arrogant reliance on reason and science, and reminds us that supernatural creatures inhabit the earth and that refusing to accept their existence turns us into vulnerable prey. Our lives and souls are at risk...
About the speakers:
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 Sarah Gray
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 Alodie Fielding
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 Jo Rydberg
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Racontesse are Sarah Gray and Josephine Rydberg, friends and collaborators since they met 25 years ago while working at the same TV production company. Together they have made three short films and have developed numerous cross media projects. Stories are at the heart of everything they do.
Alodie Fielding's beautiful illustrations reflect the Victorian tradition of using pictures as an integral part of storytelling.
We are thrilled she can join us to discuss our shared enthusiasm for folklore and fairy tale.
ALL EVENTS ARE FREE - EVERYONE WELCOME!
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 Some important information:
Please note that the recording of these talks will NOT be made available afterwards.
These talks will be delivered via Teams live broadcasts and although you do not have to have Microsoft Teams downloaded to your computer, you will get a better experience if you have the app. Tablet and phone users must have the app.
***Please avoid using Safari – we have had reports that Safari users have issues accessing Teams live broadcasts. Please try using Chrome or any other browser – most people who experience problems when signing in find them resolved if they try using a different browser. We are sorry for the inconvenience this may cause and are working on finding a solution.
Thank you particularly to those who chose to donate to the library – we use donations to support our events programme, which aims to bring you varied, interesting, high-quality events and speakers.
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