Waterstones names Welsh folklore road trip August’s Book of the Month
Nation.Cymru Staff
A book exploring the myths, legends and folklore woven through Wales has been named Waterstones’ Welsh Book of the Month for August 2026.
Where the Folk: A Welsh Folklore Road Trip by Russ Williams, published in September 2024, follows the Caernarfon-born author as he travels the length of Wales in his red Fiesta, Griff, in search of stories that have shaped its identity.
From heroic kings and witches to the afanc and pirate-fighting monks, Williams retraces the roots of Welsh folklore while exploring the landscapes, history and communities behind the legends.
In their announcement, Waterstones praised the book as a “joyful travelogue”, noting that it is “as entertaining as it is informative”.
They said: “Not only does Russ recount some of Wales’ most interesting stories; he also explores the origins behind the myths, talking to experts and storytellers to find out how and why they might have come about, and what they tell us about Wales past and present.”
As a child, Russ Williams was a member of the Welsh national writing group Sgwad Sgwennu, before graduating from Cardiff Met with a degree in Sociology & Popular Culture.
After spending two years in Australia, Russ returned to Cardiff and published his first short story, Press 2 for English, in 2015.
Where the Folk is based on his blog of the same name, and since its publication, Russ has given talks, appeared at literary events and featured in the media discussing Welsh culture and folklore, including a visit to HMP Berwyn in 2025.
Nation.Cymru reviewer Julie Brominicks wrote: “[Russ Williams’] accessible prose belies two things; some serious graft, and the sensitivity you’d expect from the man behind Brawd Awtistico. Russ elicits musings on topics that too often become fraught when handled by less diplomatic souls…
“Where the Folk reveals a rich storytelling tradition in which it absolutely merits its place.”
Where the Folk: a Welsh Folklore Road Trip by Russ Williams is published by Calon, and is available from all good bookshops.
Waterstones Book of the Month spotlights the “most essential” reads in fiction, non-fiction, thrillers, science fiction and fantasy, young adult, and children’s books.
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