Looking for a new podcast? Interested in learning more about contemporary literature on folklore? PhD Candidate Rachel Hopkin and Tim Thurston, Ohio State alumnus and folklorist in East Asia studies, have recently begun releasing their New Books in Folklore podcast on the New Books Network. 

New Books in Folklore examines recently released folklore literature and discusses the content with its author. The podcast is the newest dedicated channel of the New Books Network, a consortium of podcasts dedicated to raising the level of public discourse by introducing serious authors to a wide public.

Tim Thurston came up with the idea for the podcast in after discovering that the New Books Network lacked folklore media. After consulting New Books, he recruited Rachel Hopkin because of her background in radio–before becoming a folklorist, Hopkin worked for the BBC and other popular radio outlets. Hopkin said she was initially reluctant: “As a folklorist, I am a lover of everything marginal and off to the side. And podcasting has become just so popular,” she said. Nevertheless, Hopkin has enjoyed her work for the New Books in Folklore podcast exactly because of the differences between podcasting and her former work in radio. “Podcasting only takes a couple of hours, while my documentary work in radio would take much longer,” Hopkin elaborated.  Hopkin also mentioned she enjoys the work because of how it connects her to folklore works outside of her research, which is focused on the Argentine Tango community in Cincinnati.

The New Books in Folklore podcast began releasing episodes in mid-December of 2016 with at least two episodes to be released every month. Twelve installments have already been published, so those who are interested have time to catch up!

By Maxwell Steele

*Special thanks to Rachel Hopkin for her help in writing this article.