Local Legends #4: Adam Bushnell

On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin gathers round the campfire to chat about County Durham, a writer's life, and so much more, with storyteller and author of over 40 books, including County Durham Folk Tales, Adam Bushnell.

Born and raised in County Durham, Adam knows and loves the county where he now resides - and he has perspective on it. His work regularly sees him travelling all over the world, delivering workshops in Asia, Africa, and America, as well as all over the UK. As you’ll hear, he knows so many of the stories of the place, and is always acquiring more. A story magpie, drawn to shiny things, he is a compulsive tale-teller and so friendly – the North East could hardly have a better ambassador!

As we discuss, Adam’s career has been exciting – his degree was in philosophy, and he was a primary school teacher for many years, including in several boroughs of inner city London, where a chance meeting with beloved author Michael Murpurgo steered him towards life as a writer.

His first book, Snakes’ Legs and Cows’ Eggs, was published in 2007, and since then ink has flowed from his pen like an ocean surging to get free. His new series, Kid Detectives, launched this month, and his academic books, including the Comprehension Ninja series, and the Descriptosaurus books, are beloved by teachers all across the world.

With our chat ranging from Medusa to the Lambton Worm to friendly ghosts, horrible murders, and vampires staked under childrens' playgrounds, it's a good one. So settle in for an hour of talk with a master storyteller, and if your workmates ask you to go through a haunted field to get extra beer, there's advice within about exactly what to do...

Learn more about Adam and his work here: https://www.adambushnell.co.uk

The Three Ravens is an English Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.

Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on one of England's 39 historic counties, exploring the history, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...

Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays (Magic and Medicines about folk remedies and arcane spells, Three Ravens Bestiary about cryptids and mythical creatures, Dying Arts about endangered heritage crafts, and Something Wicked about folkloric true crime from across history) plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.

With a range of exclusive content on Patreon too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?

Learn more at www.threeravenspodcast.com, join our Patreon at www.patreon.com/threeravenspodcast, and find links to our social media channels here: https://linktr.ee/threeravenspodcast

Three Ravens is a myth and folklore podcast hosted by Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux.

In each Monday episode we explore a historic county, digging into heritage, folklore and traditions, then we tell a new version of a legend from that county. Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays and Saturdays.

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