Basic Witch is proud to archive the 2020 online exhibition “The Dog and the Sailor”: a virtual exploration of an ancient, magical queer folktale first documented in the Nineteenth Century. This fairy tale is listed in the Aarne-Thompson-Uther (ATU) Tale Type Index as Tale Type number 540,“The Dog and the Sailor”(previously"The Dog in the Sea").

During a Masters degree in illustration, P. J. Wood began researching traditional folklore in the hope of finding a fairy tale hero he could relate to as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. In 2019 he self-published his findings within his MA dissertation, bound in a little illustrated book of essays entitled "Queeries: Essays on Queer Theory and Fairy Tales". The book was selected as a finalist for the Katharine Brigg's Award, the British Folklore Society’s annual award for folklore research. The essay collection detailed his sources and his research into variants of "The Dog and the Sailor" tale-type across Europe. In his essay “Where is my Prince Charming? On Queer Visibility in Fairy Tales" he critically analyses how "The Dog and the Sailor" could be viewed through an LGBTQ+ lens, rich in queer symbolism and subtext. He argues that the fairy tale includes a positive, nuanced portrayal of a protagonist who could be read as gay, bisexual, asexual, aromantic or otherwise queer. The book was a limited edition and is no longer in print; it is listed in the British Library catalogue. 

When the Covid 19 pandemic of 2020 derailed his final degree showcase, Wood decided to do his exhibition online. He created his own adaptation of "The Dog and the Sailor", presumed to be the first original retelling in the English language, based on a fusion of variants collected by the Danish folklorists Jens Kamp and Nikolai Christensen in the 1800’s. Wood selected these variants to adapt after learning he had Danish ancestry. He joined forces with his cousin, sound designer Joe Dines, and actor Dino Fetscher to create an audiovisual experience during the lockdown. Wood curated a virtual gallery featuring his fairy tale adaptation with his artwork, narrated by Fetscher, with an original score by Dines. The project was initially intended as a university assignment that no one would likely see, other than his classmates and MA examiners.

The story of Wood’s rediscovery of the tale attracted interest from his peers in the LGBTQ+ community. The exhibition was featured in a viral Forbes article by journalist Jamie Wareham. Other LGBTQ+ press, in the UK and overseas, echoed support. Sir. Ian McKellan and Russell T. Davies shared the discovery of the tale with their followers. In its first week online, the exhibition received over 10,000 visitors. An accompanying hardback publication created for the exhibition, featuring Wood’s adaptation in prose alongside the artworks, limited to 1000 copies, soon sold out.

Wood went on to receive a two-book deal from Penguin Random House. A new, extended adaptation of the story was included in Wood’s anthology of queer fairy tales "Tales From Beyond the Rainbow" (Puffin Classics, 2023). Wood followed this by writing and illustrating a picture book version of the story for children. "The Dog & the Sailor" picture book was published by Puffin Books in the United Kingdom in 2024.

Wood continued his research, receiving a studentship to pursue a Ph.D in the Magical Arts at the University of the Arts London, based at Falmouth University.