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“There are certain places which the fairies have power over at night and if anybody goes into them after dusk, he cannot come out until morning though he may be walking all night.”
Stray Sod investigates the phenomenon of the same name in Irish folklore: enchanted patches of earth that will lead astray whoever steps on them. Inspired by first-hand accounts found in the Irish National Archives, Maria Lax reimagines rural Irish landscapes through this otherworldly lens.
The stories therein describe instances in which individuals are forced to navigate a world characterised by sudden shifts into unfamiliarity and strangeness. A world in which established reference points distort and slip away, causing great distress to those experiencing it. Stray Sod draws timely parallels between these stories and the destabilizing effects of the fast-changing political and technological environment of today.
“Many of the stray sod accounts seem to take place during periods of great change, such as a time of grieving, but can be equally seen as a metaphor for depression, addiction, shifting political landscapes or rapid technological advancements that have the power to completely upend our lives. They are stories about becoming lost; about the invisible realities that can change our lives overnight, and the unknown landscapes through which we must travel.”
Published by Setanta Books
First Edition
Hardcover with exposed spine
120 pages
300 x 240 mm
