Between the Prayer Mat and the Smoke Hole with Watkins Books
Martin Shaw talks Smoke Hole, wilderness vigil, rites of passage and Wolferland's nine secret words in this wide-ranging interview for Watkins Books. (Nov 2021).
Martin Shaw talks Smoke Hole, wilderness vigil, rites of passage and Wolferland's nine secret words in this wide-ranging interview for Watkins Books. (Nov 2021).
Bardskull: a second glimpse Dr Martin Shaw has released a tantalising second glimpse of his latest book Bardskull, sharing a reading of an 11-minute section of the book as it unfolds. The wild words just recorded are a taster of this powerful fusion of memoir and myth, scheduled for publication in 2022 by Unbound Books, which has launched a funding project to get it completed and to press. Bardskull is the record of three journeys made in the year before Martin turned fifty - for each, he walks
'We take a look at the roots of narrative as we meet master storyteller and mythologist Dr Martin Shaw. Mythologist Dr Martin Shaw is a world-renowned storyteller and expert in folklore. He joins us to discuss his latest book (Courting the Wild Twin) and explain the enduring power of the oral tradition.' (March 2020). Listen to the podcast.
Bardskull: a sneak preview As the funding of Dr Martin Shaw's brand new book Bardskull hits 61 per cent from 181 supporters, he has released a recording to give a little glimpse of what awaits. The recording is the story of Gawain and the Green Knight, told by a Hare hidden in Gawain's saddlebag. Bardskull, a powerful fusion of memoir and myth, is the record of three journeys made in the year before Martin turned fifty. For each, he walks alone into a forest in the heart of
Beautiful Learning: New Martin Shaw live audio Recorded live over two days this summer, Beautiful Learning: Oral Thought & Culture-Making is a deep dive into Celtic stories and philosophy. The event, which took place on Dartmoor in Devon (UK) in July, included tellings of Cinderbiter (from the Hebrides) and Irish story The Birth of Ossian, along with a very rare rendition of the Invasion Tales of Erin and the Arrival of the Tuatha De Danann (Irish). The live recording (available as MP3 downloadable files) covers the gathering as
Bardskull: a remarkable journey A brand new collaboration between Martin Shaw and Unbound Books sees the unveiling of a fund raising project that will help finish Martin's latest book, a work unlike anything he has written before. Bardskull, a powerful fusion of memoir and myth, is the record of three journeys made in the year before he turned fifty. This is not a book about myth or story. It is a sequence of incantations and a series of battles. For each of the three journeys, Martin walks alone
Lightning Tree: New interview marks 10 years Cista Mystica is celebrating ten years since the publication of Martin Shaw's first book A Branch From The Lightning Tree, with an in depth interview going right to the heart of how the books have evolved over the last decade. In the 50-minute interview, which can be heard on Soundcloud here, Martin reveals how a conversation with musician Joe Strummer from The Clash sowed the seeds for the book many years before. He explains: "I met him once at a party
'There is always something of a thrill when you discover a secret, and out there in the wider world John is pretty much that. His work rattles around in the deep interior, is not invested in handrails. Moriarty is speaking to a wiser, stranger part of ourselves. A dimension we may barely register. He circumnavigates small talk and escorts us from the shopping mall and out under a hundred thousand stars.' Martin Shaw on John Moriarty, in The Honest Ulsterman
'Working nightly into his Christian visioning excavated something in my own heart. A powerful, almost pagan Jesus announced himself. Not reassuring, troubling not easy, as if I was standing at the doorway of a new life.' - Martin Shaw on editing the new collection of John Moriarty's writings, for writing.ie Martin Shaw: On Editing A Hut at the Edge of the Village
A Hut at the Edge of the Village A new collection of John Moriarty’s writings, edited by Dr Martin Shaw, has been launched with a lively online discussion about the Irish philosopher described as 'one of Ireland's greatest secrets'. Martin was joined by writer and documentary-maker Manchán Magan, author of the rip-roaring Thirty-Two Words for Field, for the launch of A Hut at the Edge of the Village. Manchán describes Martin's introductions to John's work as having the same 'wildness, boldness and vivacity as Moriarty's writings'. The recording