Hagtale by Sally O’Reilly

A hagtale, a dark fable, a fireside story, known to Shakespeare, but unwritten. Until now.

In eleventh-century Scotland, feral wolf-child Wulva is brought up by witches and then sent to live at a Scottish castle, where she falls under the spell of cruel, ambitious Lord Macbeth.

Three hundred years later, gentle Brother Rowan goes on a strange and perilous journey to a remote and ancient monastery to write a history of the Scottish king-line.

Misfits in their own time, seekers after truth, Wulva and Rowan are mysteriously connected despite the centuries that separate them.

Hagtale explores the power of stories lost and found, their transformative potential, and who gets to be the owner of the tale.

‘This vivid novel features a wolf child, a crazed warlord and a walking forest, conjuring a world where nature is alive and wild, and human nature is cruel and deadly. Giving new life to the old fireside yarn that inspired Shakespeare’s Macbeth.’
-Eithne Farry, The Irish Daily Mail

‘A strange, epic, haunting tale.’
-Chetna Maroo, author of Western Lane

‘A book of blood and guts with some of the most exquisite nature writing I’ve ever read.’
-Hannah Vincent, author of Alarm Girl

About the Author: Sally O’Reilly grew up in Stoke-on-Trent and now lives in Sheffield. En route, she’s spent time in Brixton, Brighton, and Barcelona. Her short stories have been published in the UK, Australia, and South Africa, and she has been shortlisted for the Cosmopolitan short story prize and the Ian St James Awards. Her historical novel Dark Aemilia (Myriad Editions/Picador US) was nominated for the Kirkus Prize. She has worked as a senior creative writing lecturer at the Open University and her journalism has been published in The Guardian, The Sunday Times, and New Scientist.

03 Mar 2026
 

Hagtale: a Macbeth origin story by Sally O’Reilly ISBN 9781761381430