Wassails and plough blessings, cheese rolling and well dressings, Bradford’s Mela and the Notting Hill Carnival, summer hen races and festive sword-dancing…

In their new book The Ritual Year, writers and researchers:  Kiera Chapman, Lulah Ellender, and Rebecca Warren journey through some of the gatherings that shape our year, challenge our understanding of the past, and give pattern and meaning to communities across Britain today.

On any given week, somewhere in Britain, you will find people gathering – to mark a moment in the agricultural year, to commemorate an event in local history, to herald the beginning of a new season or bid farewell to the old. Some of these rituals have been passed down through the centuries; some are newer or recently revived; some have a deep connection to the British landscape or folklore, and some have been carried from other cultures and taken root here.

We’re lucky enough to be joined by one of the authors, Lulah Ellender, for an illustrated talk on some of Britain’s most interesting rituals.

LULAH ELLENDER is a writer and book coach. She’s the author of Elisabeth’s Lists, as well as a memoir called Grounding: Finding home in a garden, both published by Granta. With a group of other writers, she co-wrote Nature’s Calendar, a collaborative nature book based on the Japanese micro-season calendar.