| When | Wednesday 17th June 2026 at 19:00 |
| Where | The Exchange, Sturminster Newton 1 Old Market Hill Sturminster Newton Dorset DT10 1QU |
| Event Type | Talks |
| Price | £8 |
| Booking | Preferred |
| Tickets | |
| Also available at 1855, Market Cross, Sturminster Newton |
Monsters have thrilled and chilled us for thousands of years. From the dragon of Bavaria to the vampires of the Balkans, from the ferocious oni of Japan to Mary Shelley’s invention of Frankenstein’s monster and the movie monsters that fill our screens today, award-winning author Nicholas Jubber takes us on his journey into the origins and continuing resonance of monster stories: a journey that shines a light on the stories that connect communities all around the world.
About the book:
Monsterland is a journey around the world, diving into twelve monster stories across a dozen countries and four continents, spanning thousands of years of human history. From the giants of Cornwall to the Japanese movie-monster Godzilla, it investigates where the monsters come from, how their stories have resonated across the centuries, and how they connect with each other. It explores how communities come together around monster stories, and how many of these stories are being reimagined and celebrated today. It has been described as a ‘wonderful book’ (Love Reading), ‘an immersive contribution to the age-old question of who we are, turning to our monsters to answer it’ (Open Forum), and ‘Evocative and sharply observed’ (Newsweek).
Nicholas Jubber is the author of six books about history, travel, folklore and mythology. His journeys have taken him across Africa, Asia and Europe, on the trail of a medieval physician, Persian poet and sixteenth century explorer, amongst many other adventures, as he investigates the connections that link the past to the present. A winner and multiple nominee of the Stanford/Dolman Travel Book Award, he has spoken at festivals across Britain and internationally, including Hay-on-Wye, Edinburgh and Rome, has spoken on BBC Radio 4 and Radio 5 Live, has written for publications including The Guardian, BBC Online and the Irish Times, and has had plays produced in London and Edinburgh.