Author Archives: Sam George

About Sam George

Associate Professor of Research, School of Humanities, University of Hertfordshire Co-convenor OGOM Project

Hans Andersen’ s Dark Musings From A Discarded Christmas Tree

Posted on 27th December 2019 by Sam George

I have been reading Hans Andersen’s unsettling account of a Christmas fir tree that feels pain. I was reminded of this story last year when I came across Lars Ostenfeld’s beautifully sad and poignant adaptation of  The Fir Tree (Danish: Grantræet) on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Critical thoughts | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

How Scooby Doo Influenced A Whole Generation of Gothic Scholars

Posted on 29th November 2019 by Sam George

If you were one of those kids who rushed home from school in the 70s to watch Scooby Doo it might just have influenced you in your Gothic thinking and in your understanding of the way Gothic stories are told. … Continue reading →

Posted in Critical thoughts | Tagged , | Leave a comment

The Haunted Landscape: Magic and Monsters of the British Isles; 23rd November, Conway Hall, London

Posted on 12th November 2019 by Sam George

‘The Haunted Landscape: Magic and Monsters of the British Isles’ is a one-day symposium on folklore, magic and beyond. Authors and researchers discuss fairies, witchcraft, werewolves, vampires, dragons, the lore of autumn, and the magic of common folk. Up the … Continue reading →

Posted in Events | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

OGOM Halloween Countdown: 31 Days of Spookiness

Posted on 31st October 2019 by Sam George

Those who believe that the spirit world and the living world co-exist, always hidden from each other, will see the barrier between them open in the witching hour. Here at OGOM we are leaving the doors of perception open. We … Continue reading →

Posted in Fun stuff | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

UK Werewolf Hauntings: Are We Living in Gothic Times?

Posted on 30th October 2019 by Sam George

In the opening decades of the twenty-first century, with Trump in the White House and Brexit on the horizon, Angela Carter’s famous assertion of 1974 that ‘we live in Gothic times’ has never been more apt. This theme of ‘Gothic … Continue reading →

Posted in OGOM Research | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

OGOM Supernatural St Albans Halloween Tour

Posted on 16th September 2019 by Sam George

Join the Open Graves, Open Minds Project on 31st October to explore the magical and spectral history of St Albans. Your hosts will be vampire expert Dr Sam George and Dr Kaja Franck (a specialist in werewolves); together they will … Continue reading →

Posted in Events, Gothic Hertfordshire, OGOM Research | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

What Happens to a Werewolf in the Harvest Moon?

Posted on 13th September 2019 by Sam George

The condition of  shapeshifting into a wolf in the full moon is, of course, known as lycanthropy. September brings us the full moon closest to the Autumn equinox.  The Harvest Moon will appear bigger and brighter tonight and will inspire … Continue reading →

Posted in Critical thoughts | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Gothic Times 26 October 2019

Posted on 20th August 2019 by Sam George

In the opening decades of the twenty-first century, with Trump in the White House and Brexit on the horizon, Angela Carter’s famous assertion of 1974 that ‘we live in Gothic times’ has never been more apt. But from the eighteenth … Continue reading →

Posted in Conferences, OGOM Research | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Werewolves and Wildness: The Open Graves, Open Minds special issue of Gothic Studies

Posted on 11th July 2019 by Sam George

Reblogged from EUP Blog, 8 July 2019 The first issue of Gothic Studies published by EUP is also the first ever issue devoted to werewolves. In the twenty-first century, the era of late capitalism, new werewolf myths have emerged from our cultural … Continue reading →

Posted in OGOM News, OGOM Research, OGOM: The Company of Wolves | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Werewolves and Wildness

Posted on 20th May 2019 by Sam George

Woo hoo we’re excited to announce that OGOM’s Dr Sam George and Dr Bill Hughes have edited the first ever issue of Gothic Studies on werewolves and it is out now from Edinburgh University Press: ‘Werewolves and Wildness’ 21.1 (May … Continue reading →

Posted in Books and Articles, OGOM Research, OGOM: The Company of Wolves | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment