Created from pure, smokeless fire and endowed with supernatural powers, the mythology of the Djinn dates back more than 2000 years and can be found in fables originating from a diverse range of cultures. Much like humans, they can be good or evil, however, they are often portrayed as wicked spirits, genies, fiery beings and monsters.

The Djinn Falls in Love is a fascinating collection of new and classic tales of the fearsome Djinn, from bestselling, award-winning and breakthrough international writers, including Neil Gaiman and Catherine King.

The stories featured in this wonderful new collection showcase the many differing interpretations and experiences of the Djinn in modern culture. Join event chair Shanon Shah, author Claire North, editor Jared Shurin and contributing author, E.J. Swift, as they explore the dark places where the Djinn has hidden throughout history and ask how our interpretation of this enduring myth has shifted over time.

About The Speakers

Jared Shurin

Jared Shurin is a writer and editor, he has edited over twelve fiction anthologies in partnership with Tate Britain, the Royal Observatory and the Egypt Exploration Society amongst others, and he most recently co-edited the anthology The Djinn Falls in Love. He is also the founder and editor of the award-winning pop culture website Pornokitsch.

E. J. Swift

E. J. Swift is the author of the Osiris Project trilogy, a speculative fiction series set in a world radically altered by climate change. Her short fiction has been nominated for the Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award and the BSFA award for short fiction. Swift also contributed to Strata – an interactive digital project by Penguin Random House.

Claire North

Claire North is the pen name for the Carnegie-nominated Catherine Webb, who also writes under the name Kate Griffin. Her recent novel The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August was selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club, the Waterstones Book Club and the Radio 2 Book Club. Catherine currently works as a theatre lighting designer and is a fan of big cities, urban magic and graffiti-spotting. She lives in London.

About The Chair

Shanon Shah

Shanon Shah is a sociologist of religion and Deputy Editor of the acclaimed quarterly Critical Muslim, published by the Muslim Institute and Hurst. In a previous life, he was an award-winning singer-songwriter, playwright and journalist in his native Malaysia. His acclaimed bi-lingual Malay-English play, Air Con, tackled the themes of homophobia, transphobia, religious fundamentalism and racism.