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Author of the Year - Sif Brookes

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How do you feel about winning/being nominated for the Spotlight Awards?

It's incredible, and means so much that it's voted on by the community. It's also a little bitter-sweet, because the other person nominated was Dan Coultas, who I worked with for The Wyrd Less Woven, and also was so, so encouraging while I was putting together Valkyrjur, Servant or Master? He's also been very inspirational in terms of me writing Heathen-focused materials, alongside utilising creativity/writing as a devotional tool. 


How do you feel about your influence within the Pagan/Witchcraft community?

I consider myself fledgeling in this aspect, but I've had so many - again - inspirational leaders to help guide me on my path. As a Heathen, who is a writer, and speaker, and content creator, and quite active in the Pagan space, it's important for me to be vocal when it comes to inclusive heathenry, and in being vocal when it comes to Heathenry generally. It, unfortunately, is still quite defined by misconception within Pagan circles and outside of them. 


I hope to leave the world a little better than I entered it - that's ultimately my goal with all of this. And to help normalise Paganism as a whole. It shouldn't be considered this outside outlier, but something that people see as equal alongside other religions. 


A little bit about yourself?

Oh boy, I'll keep the basics brief. I'm Sif, I'm a reconstructionist Nordic/Norse Heathen, with a practice that is quite defined by death deities - think Freyja, Hel, Skadi, Ran, the Valkyries, the Nornir, the Disir, etc, and others like Sif and Saga. (And, naturally, all of the other Gods too). I personally don't avoid worshipping the Jotnar (far from it!), as highlighted by writing devotional prayers to them in The Wyrd Less Woven, and indeed, encourage a pluralist perspective on the Eddic/early Medieval literature. I'm probably most 'known' for my worship of the Valkyries, and my work in helping to tackle some long-held misconceptions that had lingered for far, far, too long. Equally, a lot of my work can be described as feminist, in terms of proposing a perspective that asks questions of old scholarly paradigms around the Viking Age. 


And a little bit of additional flavour. A sprinkling of my own gnosis. I took the name 'Sif' before I was Heathen - it was an online nickname - and eventually ended up changing my name legally after a particularly potent experience with Sif that seemed like the answer to a question I didn't know I was asking. For me, I worship Sif as an ex-Jotunn turned Aesir. A wolf-riding Goddess who has had much of her story erased, though fragments remain. She's a potent force, and so strong, and yet often overlooked. Hail to Sif! 


Any upcoming events, news, or anything else to look out for?

I'll be doing my usual haunt at Asatru UK's Great Heathen Gathering, this time honouring Tyr with the consecration of his awesome new godpost. I'll also be at the Scottish Pagan Federation's 'Lifting the Veil' conference in October doing a talk about Valkyries. I think that's mostly it for this year, I'll see what else I can cram in. 

I am currently working on a novella, entitled 'Sigrun', which I hope to self-publish by the end of the year. I'm also under contract for the soft-sequel to Valkyrjur, Servant or Master? entitled 'The Wild Unleashed, the Other in Norse Myth', which I'm writing alongside Dan Coultas. There's also a poetry/essay book I'm dabbling with, that may see a release this year, but will likely be next year. So yeah...busy!





 
 
 

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