We're so excited to welcome authors Elizabeth Sulis Kim & Dr Elizabeth Dearnley to store this October to celebrate the publications of their new books - The Book of Beasts & The Fairy Spotter's Guide.

Tickets are £5 and can be redeemed against any purchase on the evening of the event. 

Timings

• Doors open: 6:30pm
• Talk begins: 7:00pm 

The Book of Beasts

A modern bestiary with an ancient heart: meet twelve emblematic animals and restore your relationship with the natural world, from the editor of Cunning Folk. The bear deities, Artio and Artaius, who’ll rise from sleep; the salmon of wisdom who gifts understanding of the universe’s past, present and future; the Lion Man carved 40,000 years ago. Join Elizabeth Sulis Kim as she travels across the globe and through time, from our deep past into the future, bringing together the animals which have captivated us for millennia.

Steeped in folklore, mythology, magic and religion, The Book of Beasts tells the story of our shapeshifting relationships with animals, from reverence to persecution, friendship to fear, awe to indifference. It asks us what we actually know about the creatures we share this world with – and offers us a different way of living together.

The Fairy Spotter's Guide

No matter where you are, you're never far from a door to the Otherworld ... From the bloodthirsty baobhan sith of the Scottish Highlands to the mischievous trasgu creeping beneath your floorboards, the world is teeming with hidden, magical beings. The Fairy Spotter's Guide is your essential companion for navigating the world of the uncanny.

Journey across continents and cultures as you uncover the origins - both real and mythological - of 80 extraordinary folk creatures, from mermaids and bigfoot to shapeshifters and spectral hounds. Packed with over 100 original, spellbinding illustrations and written by a leading expert in fairy tales and folklore, this is no ordinary field guide. Whether you're a seasoned cryptid hunter or a curious newcomer, this beautifully crafted book will enchant, unnerve and utterly captivate.

Watch your step. Not all fairies are friendly.

About the authors

Elizabeth Sulis Kim is an Edinburgh-based writer and editor. She is the author of The Book of Beasts: Reclaiming Animal Wisdom (Chatto & Windus) and The Art of Folklore (forthcoming in 2027 from Frances Lincoln). She is also the editor of Cunning Folk magazine and Spiritus Mundi, an anthology of occult writing (Liminal 11). Her writing has appeared in publications such as BBC Culture, Mslexia, Hellebore, Fiddler's Green, The Guardian, the LA Review of Books, Ambit, TANK. 

Elizabeth Dearnley is a writer, artist and folklorist based in Edinburgh. Her work explores fairy tales, horror and interactive storytelling, and she is a Lecturer in Creative Writing at Edinburgh Napier University. In addition to writing The Fairy Spotter's Guide, she is an editor for the British Library's Tales of the Weird series, her anthologies including Fearsome Fairies (2021), Deadly Dolls (2024) and Haunted Yorkshire (2026). She writes for Cunning Folk, Hellebore and The Times Literary Supplement, and stages immersive theatre installations based on folktales in spaces ranging from museums to pie shops.

If you have any questions regarding the event or to request additional accessibility accommodations please contact hello@rarebirdsbooks.com