Mark Norman

We might think of sponges as bathroom objects, but the real living animals are far more interesting. They come in all shapes and sizes, occur in all oceans of the world, and have amazing lives. Sponges have lived in our oceans for 600 million years. Ancient forms even built reefs bigger than the Great Barrier Reef. Today, sponges help clean...

For many people, the first experience of marine environments is amazement at the bewildering variety of life in the oceans. Sea anemones and corals, sea stars and sea urchins, octopuses and squids are just a few marine creatures that we never encounter on land or in freshwater. Many other creatures are even less familiar, and it is often difficult for...

Wales is a land with a vast wealth of ghost stories, including fantastical animals, flickering death omens and unseen things that go bump in the night. Whether these tales are based on true events, or are the creations of active imaginations, is known only to those who have experienced them. What is certain is that their power to delight and...

This is Zoinks!, the critically-acclaimed book all about Scooby-Doo by acclaimed folklorist and podcaster Mark Norman. Recognised internationally for his expertise in folklore and known by many for his Folklore Podcast, Mark is the perfect guide for a tour through the myths and legends that have inspired the iconic cartoon. For over half a century, a gang of teens—Fred, Daphne,...