Fantasy Literature

Dec 11 2023 30 mins 129

Fantasy Literature Podcast artwork

Fantasy Literature has emerged as one of the most important genres over the past few decades and now enjoys extraordinary levels of popularity. The impact of Tolkien’s Middle-earth works and the serialisation of George Martin’s ‘Game of Thrones’ books has moved these and their contemporaries into mainstream culture. As the popularity grows so does interest in the roots of fantasy, the main writers and themes, and how to approach these texts. Oxford is a natural home to fantasy literature with those who worked or studied here having written so many famous and influential texts (e.g. Lewis Carroll (C. L. Dodgson), C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Susan Cooper, Diana Wynne Jones, Alan Garner, and Philip Pullman to name but a few) – leading to the notion of an ‘Oxford School of Fantasy’. These lectures, short talks, and interviews seek to take listeners into these works and these writers and beyond. All material released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/ . [Artwork by Minjie Su.]

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J.R.R. Tolkien: The Making of a Philologist

Dec 11 2023 49 mins

A talk by Professor Simon Horobin on Tolkien's long-standing career and interest in philology as part of the Tolkien 50th Commemoration seminar series. A talk by Professor Simon Horobin on Tolkien's long-standing career and interest in philology. Part of the series to mark the 50th anniversary of Tolkien's death organised and hosted by Exeter College and the Faculty of English.

Tolkien and Beowulf

Dec 11 2023 49 mins

A talk by Dr Laura Varnam on Tolkien's long engagement with the Old English poem 'Beowulf' as part of the Tolkien 50th Commemoration seminar series. A talk by Dr Laura Varnam, University College, Oxford, on Tolkien's long engagement with the Old English poem 'Beowulf'. Part of the series to mark the 50th anniversary of Tolkien's death organised and hosted by Exeter College and the

A Heroic History of the Elves: Tolkien’s “lost” Mythology of England?

Dec 11 2023 54 mins

A talk by PhD candidate Grace Khuri, University of Oxford, on Tolkien's Elvish history and English 'mythology', as part of the Tolkien 50th Commemoration seminar series. A talk by PhD candidate Grace Khuri, University of Oxford, on Tolkien's Elvish history and English 'mythology'.. Part of the series to mark the 50th anniversary of Tolkien's death organised and hosted by Exeter Col

How to write 'The Lord of the Rings'

Dec 08 2023 58 mins

A lecture by Dr S Lee as part of the Tolkien 50th Commemoration seminar series. A look at how Tolkien wrote 'The Lord of the Rings' and what lessons can be learnt from this. Part of the series to mark the 50th anniversary of Tolkien's death organised and hosted by Exeter College and the Faculty of English.

Is Jin Yong 'China's Tolkien'?

Sep 06 2021 36 mins

A comparison of the Hong Kong author Jin Yong and J. R. R. Tolkien A comparison of the Hong Kong author Jin Yong and J. R. R. Tolkien by Jonathan Hui, English Division at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Arthur Rackham at Trinity College

Jul 30 2021 45 mins

Emma Sillett, Trinity College Librarian, and Dr Caroline Batten explore the Danson Library's collection of rare Arthur Rackham fantasy illustrations. Emma Sillett, Trinity College Librarian, and Dr Caroline Batten explore the Danson Library's collection of rare Arthur Rackham fantasy illustrations, looking at editions of fairy tales, Milton's Comus, Wagner's Siegfried and the Twili

The Last of the Titans

Jul 27 2021 12 mins

This talk explores the myth underlying the action in John Wyndham's `The Kraken Wakes'. This talk discusses the fantasy novel The Kraken Wakes by John Wyndham. The novel is often described as science fiction, but the underlying legend of a sea monster has a long history and appears in literature all over the world. Sometimes the creature is non-aggressive, often aggressive; the nar

The Saga of Eric the Unlucky

Jul 20 2021 14 mins

The Saga of Eric the Unlucky examines Rider Haggard's use of medieval narrative techniques in his novel Eric Brighteyes. In The Saga of Eric the Unlucky, Jane Bliss examines Rider Haggard's use of medieval narrative techniques in his nineteenth-century novel The Saga of Eric Brighteyes. He exploits the paratactic narrative style familiar from chronicle history; he also uses a typic

Edward Lear and Fantasy

Jul 18 2021 10 mins

Jasmine Jagger provides a short introduction to Edward Lear. Jasmine Jagger provides a short introduction to Edward Lear, a literary nonsense author whose fanciful limericks and invented words inspired numerous fantasy authors. Dr Jagger lectured at Oxford (Jesus and Lady Margaret Hall), and is now a member of the Department of English and Creative Writing at the University of Roeh

Werewolves in Medieval Literature vs Modern TV

Jul 06 2021 23 mins

A discussion of werewolves in medieval and modern representations. A discussion of werewolves in medieval and modern representations by Dr Minjie Su.