Finding Albion: Myth, Folklore and the Quest for a Hidden Britain

Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Non-Fiction 2026, Zakia Sewell's book traverses the length and breadth of Britain from Somerset to Scotland, from the spring equinox over Glastonbury Tor to the giddy summertime celebrations of the Notting Hill Carnival, in search for stories that lie beyond divisive national myths and symbols. On All Hallow's Eve she encounters the ghosts of Empire that are still haunting the nation, and in the depths of a Cornish winter she asks if today's new folk revival could unite the UK? In Finding Albion, Zakia uncovers an alternative spirit of Britain that is vividly alive today. It is found in otherworldly folk songs, ancient legends, Celtic seasonal rites and mystic stone circles that punctuate our landscape. Sewell's endlessly fascinating deep dive into a shadow Britain explores the multiplicity of the nation's folklore.

"I've been waiting for a book like this."—Florence Welch 

"Finding Albion offers up much needed alternative national identities and stories for us to keep close and cherish. Its a timely book that helps us consider who we are and more importantly where we are going."—Jeremy Deller 

Hardcover / Number of pages: 288 / Language: English / Date: 2026 / Dimensions: 23.6 x 16 x 3.2 cm / Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton / ISBN: 9781399735902 / Weight: 484 g