Worms, Monkeys and Killer Pigs: The Strange Folk Tales of County Durham

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Rich and wonderfully strange tradition of folk tales, from monstrous worms and unfortunate monkeys to a surprising number of killer pigs.

County Durham’s history is filled with stories that are strange, gruesome, funny and sometimes almost impossible to believe. Drawing on his book County Durham Folk Tales, author and storyteller Adam Bushnell explores some of the region’s most memorable legends, including the origins of its famous worm tales, the dark history behind Hartlepool’s monkey-hanging story and the curious number of murderous pigs that appear in the county’s past.

Along the way, Adam will look at where folklore ends and history begins, how stories change as they are passed from generation to generation, and why these old tales still matter today. And, as you might expect from a storyteller, he’ll also tell a story or two in the way they were meant to be heard.

Adam Bushnell is an award winning and Amazon number 1 bestselling author of fictional and academic books. He has had over sixty books published including Descriptosaurus: Story Writing and Modelling Exciting Writing.

His book of 100 Ideas for Outdoor Learning, published by Bloomsbury, won the prestigious ‘Creative Play Awards’ in 2020. He was a finalist for the ‘Education Resource Awards’ in 2023. His book The Dragon Inside Me won the Fiction Express ‘Book of the Year’ award for 2021 and Son of the Samurai won the award again in 2023.

He works in the UK and internationally in both state and private education delivering creative writing workshops to all ages.

Previously a teacher, Adam also delivers CPD to teachers on how to inspire reading and writing in the classroom.

Follow Adam on Instagram and X @authoradam and see www.adambushnell.co.uk for more details.