Anna North on the Genre You Didn’t Know You Needed: Bogcore

Bogs have become increasingly popular lately. Fashion designers are incorporating peat into their high-end garments, and Instagram memes provide guidance on selecting a bog witch name. Internationally bestselling authors are drawing inspiration from these unique landscapes. The allure of bogs, swamps, and marshes has gained broader appeal in recent years.

The mystique of these spaces, in a world plagued by democratic instability and environmental pollution, is captivating. Although I cannot endorse entering a bog, I have immersed myself in numerous bog-related literature recently. My novel, Bog Queen, has kept bogs on my mind, leading me to discover a boom in bog-themed literature.

The following books will satisfy your bog witch cravings while also highlighting the real-world significance of bogs as protectors against climate change, habitats for diverse life forms, and guardians of ancestral memory.

1. Fen, Bog, and Swamp: A Short History of Peatland Destruction and Its Role in the Climate Crisis by Annie Proulx - This Pulitzer Prize-winning author provides insight into the world of bogs, fens, and swamps. Her passion for preserving these wetlands is evident throughout the book, motivating readers to protect these valuable ecosystems.

2. The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister - This eerie fable explores the life of a family in West Virginia with an unusual tradition. The story eerily blends elements of Edward Gorey and Rebecca, creating a unique world that's both dark and humorous.

3. This Very Earthly Place: Selected Poems by Seamus Heaney - This collection features four of Heaney's famous bog poems, inspired by Iron Age bodies preserved in Irish peat. While the title poem, "Bog Queen," didn't resonate with me as much, poems like "The Grauballe Man" offer captivating similes and metaphors, such as "As if he had been poured in tar, he lies on a pillow of turf and seems to weep the black river of himself."

4. Forest Euphoria: The Abounding Queerness of Nature by Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian - This book serves as a love letter to New York state's wetlands, including bogs, marshes, and swamps. Kaishian delves into the complex world of gender and sexuality found within plant, fungal, and animal communities. Readers will find invaluable advice on how to connect with nature and learn fascinating facts about eels.