By Alana DiPlacido
Hometown Weekly Reporter
A group of readers gathered at the Medfield Public Library (MPS) to hear Andrew Warburton, the author of “New England Fairies,” discuss his book.
After settling in around a shared table, Warburton led the group in a discussion of the history of fairy lore in New England. Rather than lecture to an audience, Warburton prioritized discussion: encouraging participants to speak and share their own thoughts and experiences.
This approach to the conversation created a warm and inviting atmosphere amongst the attendees, allowing everyone to engage more deeply with the subject matter.
Warburton handed out packets of information that he had gathered during his years of research and introduced the group to many different iterations of fairies that have been believed in by New Englanders over the past few centuries.
Warburton’s research touched upon stories of fairies from many different cultures that were present in New England, from British, Irish, and French fairies brought over by settlers and immigrants to the fairies believed in by the indigenous people.
Warburton, a native of England who moved to New England years ago, began his research into the history of fairies due to a sort of home-sickness. After having grown up in England, a country rich with fairy lore– he began his research in an effort to find more connection between his home country and New England.
Although Warburton himself does not believe in fairies, knowing that the people of New England have discussed fairies and told stories of them since at least the 18th century reminded him of the rich tradition of fairy stories in Bristol, his hometown.
At one point during the discussion, Warburton noted that “fairy stories and the way fairies are described are very specific to their place of origin.” Even outside the fairy-realm, the importance of places of origin was evident within the conversation. As everyone gathered in Medfield to engage in conversation about these fairies, they shared stories they had learned as young people born in towns across the country and around the world.
