Francis Young has written eighteen previous books in the fields of folklore and the history of religion and supernatural belief, including – most recently – Magic in Merlin's Realm (Cambridge University Press, 2022). A Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, he teaches courses on history, myth and religion for the Department for Continuing Education in the University of Oxford. In addition, he broadcasts regularly on folkloric and religious subjects for the BBC, and has twice been shortlisted for the prestigious Katharine Briggs Folklore Award awarded annually by the UK Folklore Society.