A Fairytale Beginning
Our first course in the Oxford Centre for Fantasy got underway last night with a truly fairytale beginning - in the literal sense because we spent much of the session thinking about the roots of fantasy in fairy and folk tales, thanks to our special guest, Katherine Langrish (Seven Miles of Steel Thistles). It was also ‘fairytale’ in the metaphorical sense as we had twenty-five participants from many countries around the world, who all managed to get there on time (especially well done, New Zealand!) with surprisingly few technical hitches. We take this as a sign at the Good Fairy did her job wishing us well at the Christening.
Picture us leaving the washing up in the sink, picking up our packs and going through the garden and over the wall on the start of our adventure.
But before we got under way, we did a warm-up exercise looking for the magic we hoped to find in the next six weeks. The responses were touching and creative - a real range which shows the group is going to be very stimulating as we compare notes and ideas. Remarks ranged from
The magic I hope to find is the passion I felt as a child when I wrote fantasy stories and the only thing I wanted in the world was to be a writer
To
The magic I'm hoping to discover is a circle of fantasy writer friends who support & encourage each other in being wild, being themselves & letting their inner world shine
All the way to the searingly honest
Truly, I want to be more than I am, more than I would be otherwise.
That is what we aspire to deliver to all the participants, from first time writer to experienced author.
Setting out, we began where this started with Tolkien’s Oxford and the inspiration it gave him - and can give us. We took a tour of his history with the city and the friendships he made here.
After that, we spent time with Katherine thinking about the difference between fairy and folk tales, the ways in which they differ from novels, how we can use the plots, characters and tropes in our own writing, ending with a detailed look at three excellent modern novels from Robin McKinley, Jane Yolen and Neil Gaiman, all retelling Sleeping Beauty in very different ways. The evening concluded with a chance to write a reimagining of our own.
If you want to join us on another journey for the next online course - or one in-person in 2022 - you can register your interest now through the contact page.
