Stray Sod

First edition of Stray Sod by Maria Lax (2026)

Specifications

• Coptic Bound (Exposed Spine) Hardback, Cloth
• 300 x 240 mm
• 120 pages
• 63 images

About the Special edition with Prints

• Each print is in an edition of 20 numbered and stamped copies
• Signed by Maria Lax on verso
• Printed on Hahnemühle Pearl paper
• Print size: approx. 23 x 30cm including white border

Please note that the special edition will go up in price in increments as the edition sells through

About Stray Sod

“There are certain places which the fairies have power over at night and if anybody goes into them after dusk, he cannot come out until morning though he may be walking all night.”

Stray Sod investigates the phenomenon of the same name in Irish folklore: enchanted patches of earth that will lead astray whoever steps on them. Inspired by first-hand accounts found in the Irish National Archives, Maria Lax reimagines rural Irish landscapes through this otherworldly lens.

The stories therein describe instances in which individuals are forced to navigate a world characterised by sudden shifts into unfamiliarity and strangeness. A world in which established reference points distort and slip away, causing great distress to those experiencing it. Stray Sod draws timely parallels between these stories and the destabilizing effects of the fast-changing political and technological environment of today.

“Many of the stray sod accounts seem to take place during periods of great change, such as a time of grieving, but can be equally seen as a metaphor for depression, addiction, shifting political landscapes or rapid technological advancements that have the power to completely upend our lives. They are stories about becoming lost; about the invisible realities that can change our lives overnight, and the unknown landscapes through which we must travel.”