CULTURE CLUB
Crawl Tales AUTHOR CHRIS FIRTH AND ILLUSTRATOR REBECCA HOBBS HAVE GOT THE BUG FOR FOLKLORE – MIRIAM BALANESCU MEETS THEM TO FIND OUT MORE A BUG’S LIFE
hether many-legged millipedes, wasps or – god forbid – spiders, creepy
crawlies of all varieties can be contentious. Bad news for anyone who gets the jitters around critters, it is estimated by the Royal Entomological Society that to every living person, there are 1.4 billion insects on earth. Hoping to convince the general public of the wonders of the arthropod world, Cambridge-based publishing partners Chris Firth and Rebecca Hobbs have created The Folklore of British Insects – a guide to the unacknowledged stories behind the best-known (but perhaps not always best-loved) insects. Chris, a member of The Folklore Society, founded Electraglade Press in Yorkshire. “It was difficult in the north to get mainstream publishing deals,” he explains. “It’s not the most successful business ever, but then small presses rarely are. It’s been more of a labour of love, producing these books.” “We were interested in finding out about the things we see every day that we don’t pay much attention to, but in fact, have a history, stories and rhymes,” adds collaborator – and spouse – Rebecca. Taking two years to craft, the “long gestation period” was spent honing and perfecting, says Chris. “Like waiting for your butterfly.” Rebecca’s illustrations are steeped in the Cambridge landscape. “I went on a field trip to Wicken Fen, which was instrumental in inspiring the colours,” she recalls. The Botanical Garden, Anglesey Abbey, Mereside Soham and the river at Ely also make an appearance, but the Museum of Zoology trumps them all. “You can see the insects up close and personal, because they’re not going anywhere. We find out about the things we see every day
COUNTRY FILE The beautiful illustrations by Rebecca often reflect the Cambridgeshire countryside, using colours and forms familiar to any local!
“which is basically saying: ‘let them eat insects’. Roasted scorpions, according to my students, are delicious.” However, after reading, you may be too fond of the creatures to attempt any cooking. At the suggestion of designer Graham Hobbs, Rebecca leaned away from less amiable depictions of the beings. The creative pair were not always on the best terms, recounting the first time they met. “We clashed at parents evening, because I said some comment about her son not being motivated and she’s very driven as a parent,” says Chris. Now their second author-illustrator partnership, the duo hope to continue to create folklore-infused works. “You just wait for that moment when you suddenly think, ‘that’s going to be the next thing’,” says Rebecca. A fun and fascinating read, they hope it’s one the whole family can enjoy. “It’s a sharing book,” says Rebecca, comparing the multi-layered meanings interwoven with their previous publication, The Fairies and Mermaids of North Yorkshire . So, whether the thought of critters makes your skin crawl or you’ve already warmed to the world of insects, give this book a read and it may just change your mind. The book is available at the Museum of Zoology, the Museum of Cambridge, and through independent bookshops.
“I was also interested in Japanese illustrations – their colours and vibrancy.” The book teems with spellbinding segments and stories behind these tiny organisms, everything from bumblebee gossip to the beetle trap: “It’s a big metallic device that they used to have in houses, and they’ve got one in the Museum of Cambridge,” enthuses Chris. More surprisingly, along with the mythology, there are sections on making grub with bugs. “We’re a bit squeamish in the UK, whereas in some cultures it’s just normal to feed on this protein,” Chris states. “We also decided to include this because we like cooking – although, I must say, I’ve not tried the recipes. “The woodlouse fish sauce comes from an 1845 right-wing philosopher who advocated for feeding the poor on ‘woodland protein’,” Chris continues,
CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK OCTOBER 2022 41
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