Herts students breathe new life into enchanting sea creatures at folklore conference

The Open Graves, Open Minds (OGOM) Sea Changes Conference invited academics and students to delve into the magical world of fantastical storytelling.

Known for its research into vampires, werewolves, fairies, and other legendary beings, the OGOM Project continues to examine how these imaginary figures from traditional folk tales reflect deeper themes of power, identity, and belonging.

This year’s conference at the British Library - one of the world’s most prestigious venues - placed a spotlight on aquatic mythology, with students presenting original research and creative interpretations of these fantastic creations.

Herts students shared their work with an international audience, exploring the cultural and symbolic significance of creatures that have long haunted and inspired the human imagination.

Five student speakers at different stages of their academic journey took to the stage:

• Rebecca Greef, at the beginning of her research journey, captivated the audience with her paper, “Poor Unfortunate Souls: The Faustian Bargain of The Little Mermaid.” Examining Andersen’s tale through the Gothic lens, Rebecca explored the costs of desire, transformation, and silenced voices.
• Harley Tillotson examined adolescence and eco-Gothic anxieties in “Selkies and Adolescence: An Eco-Gothic Reading of Anxieties in Tides.”
• Jane Gill, midway through her doctoral journey, delved into Romanticism and Gothic enchantment with her paper, “The Romantic Lamia and Anne Bannerman’s ‘The Mermaid’ (1800).” Jane’s research highlights the way Romantic poetry blends fascination and fear in its portrayals of the mermaid, bridging historical and modern ideas of monstrosity and desire.
• Having submitted her thesis, Shabnam Ahsan shared her study, “Transgression and Transformation: Mer-Human Relationships in the Tales of Ruth Manning-Sanders.” Her work reflects OGOM’s ethos of exploring empathy for beings who straddle worlds, exposing how merfolk narratives navigate boundaries of identity, sexuality, and belonging.
• Finally, Dr Daisy Butcher, who passed her viva earlier this year, offered “Tentacular Defiance: An Exploration of Hans Christian Andersen’s Sea Witch and Female Sexuality in ‘The Little Mermaid’ (1837).” Daisy’s work celebrates the subversive potential of Gothic sea creatures, reclaiming the Sea Witch as a figure of female agency and power.

Harley Tillotson said:

“Being part of this event makes you realise you’re not just studying literature, you’re part of a community that listens to the voices of the marginalised, even the mythical. As somebody right at the start of my academic journey, it was inspiring to share my ideas alongside those more experienced. Presenting at Sea Changes has shown me how stories of mermaids and selkies can open conversations about identity, belonging, and the environment, and it’s given me the confidence to see myself as a researcher contributing to that bigger picture.”

Dr Sam George, Associate Professor of Research, University of Hertfordshire and founder of OGOM, chaired some of the talks. She said:

“What made this year’s Sea Changes conference so special was seeing our University of Hertfordshire students at every stage of their academic journey take to the stage with such confidence and imagination. From those just beginning their research to those who have recently passed their viva, each paper reflected the spirit of the Open Graves, Open Minds Project – bringing empathy, curiosity and enchantment. It was a privilege to chair their talks and witness such a wealth of knowledge unfolding before us at the British Library, a venue that is so prestigious, housing as it does, the UK’s national collection of published material.”

Delegates  from Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, the UK, and the USA, attended the sell-out conference, which was made possible through the generous support of the International Gothic Association, the British Association of Romantic Studies, and the British Association of Victorian Studies. Their sponsorship enabled students to present their work on an international stage, connecting Herts to a truly global network of scholars.

Read more on the OGOM blog: Reflections on OGOM Sea Changes.