Oaths and Offerings

Part of Leeds Lit Fest 2026. See the full programme at https://www.leedslitfest.co.uk/

Join us for a captivating evening of folklore-inspired short fiction. Six writers from across the North of England read stories from the new Carnyx Press anthology 'Oaths and Offerings'.

These strange, dark, and playful tales explore folk culture from the North and beyond, and reimagine folk tales for our time.

The readings will be followed by discussions about folklore and writing. With "stories as diverse and strange as the hidden world we sense just beyond our own" (Glen James Brown), this is sure to be an enthralling evening for fans of folk horror, weird fiction, and literature.

Featured authors:

Steven French is a retired academic from the University of Leeds. He has reviewed numerous books of fantasy and science-fiction at SF2 Concatenation, and his own short stories have appeared in The Piker Press, State of Matter and Suburban Witchcraft, among others.

Emma J. Lannie is a writer and maker whose short story collection, 'Behind A Wardrobe In Atlantis', was published by Mantle Lane Press. Her love of maps, history, folklore and psychogeography has inspired a number of site-specific projects and a TEDx talk, and her work has appeared in print anthologies and online journals. Born in Manchester, she now lives on the North East coast, where she swims in the sea year-round. She is currently working on her first novel.

Sophie Parkes is a writer of novels, short stories, music journalism, and life writing. She gained her PhD in Creative Writing and Folklore in 2024 from Sheffield Hallam University where she is also a researcher in Folklore. She teaches Creative Writing at Leeds Arts University.

Ella Sprakarn is a writer, mother and satanist based in Manchester. She has wrecked knees and STAY CALM tattooed on the inside of her fingers.

Victoria Stewart has had flash fiction published online by Reflex and LISP, and in Ellipsis Zine and the Bath Flash Fiction anthology. Her short story 'Church Going' was placed second in Bedford Short Story Competition 2023, and 'Miss Mansfield' was third in the ChipLit Festival Short Story Prize, 2024. 'Experience' was shortlisted in the Leicester Writes Short Story Prize 2025 and published in the prize anthology. Victoria lives on Merseyside and works as a researcher. 

Mae Tang (she/her) is a Chinese Singaporean immigrant living in the North of England. She was a winner of Augur Magazine's 2023 Microfiction Contest. She also has a first novel that was shortlisted for the Hachette Children's Novel Award 2025.

Nathaniel Spain is the founder and editor of Carnyx Press. Originally from East Anglia, he has lived in the North of England for over a decade, and has worked in publishing since 2017. His short fiction has been published by The Ghastling, Uncertain Stories, The Braag, and others.