An Alternative Book Club

with Lucy Steggals

 

The sessions took place at West Barnes Library between October to November 2024.

 

In a playful, material and embodied way, drawing from themes in the novel Lud-in-the-Mist (a forgotten classic by Hope Mirrlees), participants of An Alternative Book Club helped co-create an expanded version of the book to be inserted into the library and the Merton Heritage and local studies centre. 

 

Lud-in-the-Mist is an adult fairy tale written in 1926 exploring the need to embrace what we fear and to come to terms with 'the shadows’. A book exploring what happens when magic (fairy fruit) begins to find its way back into a well ordered, rigid society that banned it. A reminder of the importance of creativity, embracing change, play, connection and balance.

 

 

A final Book Club then took place in March 2025 to allow participants to review the audio recording and physical materials created during the project. 

 

Audio recording coming soon! 

 

About the artist: www.lucysteggals.co.uk/

 

Lucy Steggals is London based visual artist and integrative art psychotherapist with over 20 years’ experience running creative groups / project in collaboration with a diverse group of adults in settings including libraries, museums, galleries, and hospitals including partners such as NHS, Camden Arts Centre, Towner Art Gallery, Hayward Gallery, Turner Contemporary and Whitechapel Gallery.