1) The Oxford Centre for Fantasy now has a base for all things Inkling! The renovations of Number 5 Northmoor Road was a big project to undertake. It involved months of work to transform the top two floors of a family home into a centre for living, collaboration and celebration in the spirit of Tolkien, CS Lewis and others who found such rich intellectual and creative ground in Oxford. The Centre now has a firm home-base in Oxford, which we offer as a unique place for a community of researchers, post-grads and writers to stay. Located in the same road as where Tolkien lived when he wrote The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, it is a highly atmospheric place for living, hosting events, and creative connections.
2) We held our Inaugural Children’s Fantasy Novel Prize, in partnership with Pushkin Books. The Oxford/Pushkin Children’s Fantasy Prize opened in March 2023 and drew nearly 100 applications from all over the world. A longlist of 20 strong contenders was distilled down to an incredible shortlist of five. Working with Pushkin’s children’s editor and an agent from David Higham Associates, OCF director Julia Golding and Trustee Amelia Kyazze spent time dissecting these very diverse contenders to make our choice. The stories varied from classical fantasy to dystopia, near-horror to circus settings. Some explored the past, while others imagined alternative futures.
The award night was our first in-person event at the new Northmoor Road centre, and it was indeed a warm celebration of fantasy literature. We had three of the five shortlisted authors in attendance, with the other two on zoom from around the world. Guests and people in residence at Northmoor Road also were there. Mark Hamilton, a professional voice artist, read out excerpts from all five shortlisted novels, to great dramatic effect.
The winner was Amy Bryant from New Zealand with her draft novel The Lion and the Mage. This is a gripping story about street thief turned apprentice Mage, Ezran, who is raised to believe he is fated to save the kingdom - that is, until he captures a girl with the healing touch who challenges all his beliefs. Bryant received £2000 and a year of mentoring with Pushkin Books. The judging panel was so impressed with all the shortlisted authors; all of them gained commendation from DHA, and they received free passes to OCF courses as rewards for their efforts.
3) As part of our celebrations of the 50th anniversary of Tolkien’s death in September, the OCF held a fundraiser for children’s libraries in South Africa. This was the country of Tolkien’s birth, and part of our charitable remit is linked to spreading literacy and the love of reading abroad in the memory of Tolkien and the Inklings. We chose The Light for Africa Foundation, as they are based on the conviction that ‘Libraries Foster Social Cohesion’ -- honouring the vital role libraries play in fostering connections and promoting unity.
The Foundation refurbishes libraries across the poorest townships in South Africa; in some villages these are the only books that the children will access. The Oxford Centre for Fantasy was able to grant £10,000 to support three libraries, including renovations, books in the local languages, staff, teacher training, and software. We have received confirmation that the libraries are up and running, and some 600 children are already benefitting from these efforts.
So… three years of the charity being established, and three important milestones. However, we do not want to overlook the efforts of the staff and tutors for the day-to-day running of the charity with prolific outputs.
2023 saw some 41 new Mythmakers podcasts on a huge range of subjects, from poetry to dystopia, dragons to comic books, feminism and spirituality to war. Over the life of the podcast, we have had more than 32,000 downloads, and the library is an impressive store of information that can be listened to again and again. OCF Director Julia hosts these discussions with guests and experts from around the world. The classics have been discussed, along with talk about movies, video games, and many up-and-coming writers who are the new generation of fantasy imaginations. The staff have also handled outreach through social media deftly, with growing numbers contacting OCF and following us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
The Novel-in-a-Year and other fantasy writing courses have been carrying on nicely, and alumni are connecting to carry on the conversations and collaborations. We also started a new study-at your-own-speed Fantasy Writing Course for beginners, which is proving popular. We held a successful in-person course over five days in July, staying at the Wadham College and exploring Oxford and all of its inspiring surroundings
Another busy year for the OCF, with lots to be proud of! We can’t wait to see what happens to grow the love of fantasy writing and creativity more widely in the months and years to come.
Yours Sincerely,
Amelia B. Kyazze
Nigel Pearson
Simon Sheldon
