Whispers from Celtic Seas

Patrick Nunn is Professor of Geography at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Honorary Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne and Visiting Fellow at the University of Oxford (2026–7). His many publications include The Edge of Memory (2018) and Worlds in Shadow (2021).

Patrick Nunn has once again shown how much deeper the well of human memory runs than conventional wisdom holds – and how precious are its contents. - Benjamin Strauss, CEO and Chief Scientist, Climate CentralWhispers from Celtic Seas is a fascinating and passionate call for the oral traditions and traditional folk stories of Northwest Europe to be granted the respect they deserve for the deep histories they tell. Patrick Nunn masterfully reveals the traumatic events that constantly redefined the boundaries between land and sea. - Lynne Kelly, author of The Knowledge Gene and The Memory CodeIn this wonderfully thought-provoking book, Patrick Nunn dispels the myth about myths, and shows that sea-level changes, particularly sea-level rise, are not recently recognised phenomena. The longevity of myths is breath-taking, and reveals we still have a lot to learn about ourselves from studies of the past. - Colin Murray-Wallace, Emeritus Professor of Earth Sciences, University of Wollongong, AustraliaWhispers from Celtic Seas offers the tantalizing possibility that what are commonly dismissed as myths or “good yarns” may have their origins in remembered experiences of coasts that have changed dramatically in the past 10,000 years. In this current era of marked climate change, Patrick Nunn prompts us to consider the twin issues of our changing environment and how we will respond to the new circumstances that it presents. - Andrew Cooper, Professor of Coastal Studies, Ulster UniversityA delightful, engaging tour of coastal legends of the British Isles and northern France. Patrick Nunn makes a strong case that stories of places such as Lyonesse, Doggerland and Hy Brasil, as well as figures like the Hebridean Huntress, are not mere fictions spun by so-called “dreamy Celts”. Rather, these narrative “whispers” encode the experiences of ancient peoples living during the last ice age. - Timothy J. Burbery, Professor of English, Marshall University