Talk by Dr Tracy Fahey on the folklore figure of the Hag and her connection to female aging and power, followed by a Q&A.
Dr Tracy Fahey is coming to Cambridge Junction on Sunday 1 November for a talk on the Hag, that recurring figure of folklore who's been popping up everywhere lately. It's part of the Seed Talks series, and it's the kind of thing that works best if you've already got a bit of an interest in how old stories still shape the way we talk about ageing and power.
The Hag she's talking about is the Cailleach, a sensual and powerful older sovereignty goddess who's seen a bit of a resurgence in contemporary culture. You've probably run into her without realising it — she's appearing in films like Weapons and Hokum, and in books by Sharon Blackie and Manchán Magan. Fahey will be drawing on folk tales, film and contemporary media to look at the Hag's complex character and her ties to ageing, femininity, nature and power. It's not just a folklore lesson; it's about how this figure connects to the way we think about getting older.
Fahey is an Irish author and academic who lectures in creative writing, folk horror and contemporary Gothic at the Limerick School of Art and Design (TUS). Her writing has picked up the Rubery International Book Award, the Paul Cave Prize for Literature and a Saari Fellowship from the Kone Foundation. Her recent books on female folklore and midlife anxieties include They Shut Me Up (2023), Queens of the Crone Age (2026) and Women Changing (2027), so this talk sits right in the middle of the work she's been doing over the last few years. There's a Q&A after the talk, so you'll have a chance to ask your own questions.
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It's in J2 at Cambridge Junction on Clifton Road, CB1 7GX. Doors open at 6pm, the talk starts at 6.30pm and runs for two hours including an interval. Tickets are £15 early bird, £17.50 general admission, £19.50 final release, and £20.50 for a reserved VIP seat.
