Dr Martin Shaw is an acclaimed teacher of myth. Author of the award-winning Mythteller trilogy (A Branch from the Lightning Tree, Snowy Tower, Scatterlings), he founded the Oral Tradition and Mythic Life courses at Stanford University, and is director of the Westcountry School of Myth in the UK.
He has introduced thousands of people to mythology and how it penetrates modern life. For twenty years Shaw has been a wilderness rites of passage guide, working with at-risk youth, those who are unwell, returning veterans as well as many women and men seeking a deeper life.
His translations of Gaelic poetry and folklore (with Tony Hoagland) have been published in Orion magazine, Poetry International, Kenyon Review, Poetry magazine and Mississippi Review. Shaw’s most recent books include The Night Wages, Cinderbiter, Wolf Milk, Courting the Wild Twin and his Lorca translations, Courting the Dawn (with Stephan Harding).
His essay and conversation with Ai Weiwei on myth and migration was released by the Marciano Art Foundation.
‘Terrifically strange and thrilling. One for all you
storytellers.’—Melissa Harrison, author of All Among the Barley
‘This magical book underlines the ability of storytelling to
rewrite reality while functioning as a practical—and highly
personal—guide to the rewilding of the self.’—David Keenan, author
of For the Good Times
‘Courting the Wild Twin revels in the fabulous—the alchemy of
story, primaeval nouse and narrative. Shaw is proof of William
Blake’s adage that “Truth can never be told so as to be understood
and not believed.” A thrilling exploration of ancient ambiguity,
this book digs deep into the miraculous mulch of myth.’—Dan
Richards, author of Outpost
‘A book that comprehends the forests of the soul, written with
fierce courage and audacious wildness.’—Jay Griffiths, author of
Wild
‘This remarkable, powerful, provocative and timely book is about
the same size as your smartphone. Carry it in your other pocket,
and every time you reach for your phone, take this out instead.
Give your imagination, your activism, your poetic/mythic self some
soul food. That’s what I did, and it delighted me every time.’—Rob
Hopkins, author of From What Is to What If
‘Martin Shaw turns words into stories and stories into
unpredictable excursions in search of the Wild Twin within each and
all. He reveals the importance of this often exiled, yet deeply
necessary inner otherness, the very part that holds the secret
sense of rapport and essential relatedness that entwines human
nature with the heart of Mother Nature.’—Michael Meade, author of
Awakening the Soul
‘Courting the Wild Twin beckons us to step through the doorway that
stories create, and reveals a pathway to awakening our relationship
with the world around—and with ourselves.’—Dee Dee Chainey, author
of A Treasury of British Folklore
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