The Lost Folk - by Lally Macbeth (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

By its nature, folk is ephemeral: tricky to define, hard to preserve and even more difficult to resurrect. But folk culture is all around us; sitting in our churches, swinging from our pubs and dancing through our streets, patiently waiting to be discovered, appreciated, saved and cherished.

In The Lost Folk, Lally MacBeth is on a mission to breathe new life into these rapidly disappearing customs. She reminds us that folk is for everyone, and does not belong to an imagined, halcyon past, but is constantly being drawn from everyday lives and communities. As well as looking at what folk customs have meant in Britain's past, she shines a light on what they can and should mean as we move into the future - encouraging us to use the book as an inspiration, and become collectors and creators of our very own folk traditions.

Review Quotes

"Erudite, questing and endlessly fascinating...the book that British folk has long needed." - Katherine May

"A splendid museum full of strange and wonderful things." - Peter Ross

"A treasure trove of both British folk memory and new and emerging forms." - Kathleen Jamie, New Statesman

"A manifesto for British folk culture...In her infectious enthusiasm, proper joy can be found." - Jude Rogers, Observer

"[A] sumptuous revisionist history of British folk in all its forms is a delight from start to finish, casting new light on the customs, writing, art and songs that have told the story of these isles for centuries...[MacBeth] creates a multicoloured and multicultural tapestry of the art that made us what we are today." - Emily Lawford, Prospect

"MacBeth's attentive eye asks us to lean in, look closer, and appreciate...The Lost Folk is personal. MacBeth's charity shop finds often start or augment the search. Detail is supplied by her correspondence with the relatives of collectors, or photographs supplied by friends. Newspapers are scoured; old books consulted...This personal approach, and this encouragement to participate, makes for engaging reading and a useful way into this vast, appealing subject." - Sophie Parkes, Caught by the River

"A charming and compelling history of folk in its many forms...What MacBeth does more than simply index is inspire - to take a look at the everyday events all around and acknowledge that, one day, this will all be history; and that maybe we should do a little something to hold on to it before it becomes more lost folk." - John-Paul Davies, Buzz

"Our scattered, rootless, digital infused society needs some sort of force to draw us together...Macbeth writes passionately about folk culture's potential to do this." - Unseen Histories

"A fascinating and well-researched deep dive into British folk practices, ancient and new, obscure, magical and profound." - Country Life

"The Lost Folk is an exceptionally thoughtful and beautifully written celebration of the creative power that lives and breathes within our communities, in the form of folk art and traditions. And it is a timely reminder that it is incumbent on us to ensure their future." - Maxine Peake

"A lively, personal and deeply researched account of Folk, ancient, modern and future. Lally Macbeth hunts down, collects, participates in and really cares about the things she writes about, this is the definitive, comprehensive read." - Ruth Guilding

"Always wise, intelligent and informative, The Lost Folk is a delight - an engaging personal tale of stepping back into nearly forgotten ways, the cultural histories of these isles, in order to better know our true selves. The folklore of this land may be born of practices framed across centuries by a vast array of people and yet its essence is gathered together here by Lally Macbeth in this most charming work." - James Canton