Come to the home of fantasy: Oxford
Summer 2025
Walking and Writing in the Shires
Looking for an authentic experience to bring you closer to your favourite writers? Come and discover the real inspirations of fantasy worlds of Narnia, Middle-earth and Wonderland, places layered in thousands of years of history – standing stones, barrows, willow meads and castles.
Oxford is a city that inspired fantasy writers, most notably J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and their fellow Inklings. You can follow in their footsteps by coming to explore your favourite writers on location.
The Programme
We are offering a combined creative and walking experience. A full programme for both writers and explorers!
Dates and Venues
14th - 19th July 2025 Walking and Writing with Oxford Fantasy Writers,
We will be meeting in our specially remodelled centre.
Book now online here
Cost - starts at £1490 and $2000 for a grade 1 room - this includes accommodation, full board (we cook together), creative writing sessions, and excursions. (Travel to Oxford is not included). Our rooms are of different sizes (from the Orc den to the Gondor four-poster) so please specify if you want grade 1 (lowest), 2 (medium), or 3 (luxury!). See the booking form for details. We have one double room available for a couple.
Please note the accommodation is upstairs so if you have a disability that prevents you climbing stairs, please let us know and we’ll see if we can arrange an alternative accommodation and adapt to your needs.
If you are in a disadvantaged group, such as living with a disability or living on a low income (student or in receipt of governmental income support), you may be eligible for up to 15% discount. Please contact us for more information on info@projectnorthmoor.org.
We sometimes offer a small number of scholarships to cover part of the costs for participants from disadvantaged groups. If you’d like to be considered for scholarships in 2025, contact us on scholarship@projectnorthmoor.org.
Those who have completed one of our courses (Online Fantasy Course or Novel-in-a-Year course) are eligible for a further 10% off.
Picture in the Orc Den!
Step through the Wardrobe: A 5-day program in Oxford
You will stay in Oxford with your fellow Inkling enthusiasts.
Every day on return from the outing there will be a creative writing class to draw on the inspirational landscapes and experiences of the day.
In the evening there will be a chance to gather and hear from the experts on the Inklings and Oxford.
Ramble in the Shires*
Day 1 – Arrival, orientation walk around Oxford, evening talk
Day 2 – Visit the Iron Age sites of White Horse Hill and Weyland Smithy, a remarkable barrow on the Downs.
Day 3 – Visit to a college connected with the Inklings and the landscapes that inspired them.
Day 4 – Spend a day with a guest fantasy writer and visit CS Lewis’s house - the Kilns.
Day 5 – Go behind the doors of the secret wonders of Oxford
Day 6 - Departure
*Exact programme is subject to weather and opening times.
Book now online here
The Bodleian Library - gateway for so many writers!
Your Tutors
Katherine Langrish
Katherine writes children’s fiction and adult non-fiction. West of the Moon is an abridged version of her trilogy, Troll Fell, Troll Mill and Troll Blood which attracted great reviews. Her historical fantasy novel Dark Angels (Shadow Hunt in the US) won a Kirkus starred review: ‘this spooky yet utterly grounded story features pitch perfect prose, suspense and redemption’ and was a Junior Library Group Selection (2010). Her short stories have appeared in several collections. Katherine is the creator of the blog Seven Miles of Steel Thistles– https://steelthistles.blogspot.com – dedicated to fairy tales, folklore and fantasy, and she has published a book of essays of the same name, praised by Professor Jacqueline Simpson in Folklore as ‘elegant, vivid, and witty’. She contributed to First Light, essays for Alan Garner’s 80th birthday compiled by Erica Wagner. Her latest book From Spare Oom to War Drobe: Travels in Narnia with my nine year-old self (April 2021) has been praised by Neil Gaiman: ‘Katherine Langrish … takes us around a place we thought we knew and makes it finer and more interesting than it was before.'
MG Harris
Born in Mexico City, Lupita grew up in Manchester, England. Before turning to writing fiction she was a molecular biologist and also had a stint as an Internet entrepreneur. Lupita (short for Maria Guadalupe aka 'MG’) has published three book series for young readers. "The Joshua Files" and 'Gemini Force One' (authored as M.G. Harris) are sci-fi fantasy adventures for middle-grade; 'Emancipated' trilogy (author M.G. Reyes) is a young adult crime drama.
She is currently developing a TV series based on "The Joshua Files."
Julia Golding
Oxford-based, Julia Golding is a multi-award-winning author of over sixty novels in genres from fantasy to historical for adults, YA and children. She also writes under the pen names Joss Stirling and Eve Edwards. Julia is a passionate enthusiast for Tolkien’s writings and the inspirational possibilities of the city where he spent most of his life.
Having had a varied career as a British diplomat and policy adviser for the NGO Oxfam, she also has a doctorate in English Literature from Oxford University. She is currently working on three screenwriting projects as well as a crime series for adults and a series for younger readers about Jane Austen.
You can also find her on her podcast ‘What would Jane do?’ which takes an eighteenth century perspective on modern life.
What the first students are saying about past courses:
Did they enjoy it?
“Extremely. A wonderful and inspiring concept filled with all the things I love!”
Memorable visit to Sarehole Mill
Breakfast at Magdalen College
“Very. A good mix of walking, talking and writing with excellent company.”
“Brilliant! This was exactly what I was looking for. Loved the mix of walks and seminars.”
“It was a wonderful experience. Everything was done according to the plan, and I'm glad we could do so many things!”
Wayland’s Smithy - 5000 year old barrow on the Downs.
Visiting the Kilns - home to CS Lewis
“I have been extremely satisfied, it has been an absolute joy!”
White Horse Hill points to the Dragon!
“This course has been a lovely experience, It was a perfect mix of immersion and active learning.”
Fantasy Writers Course Online
COVID has taught us that much of what we used to do in person can now work well online. Are you interested in an online fantasy writers’ creative writing course with published authors as your tutors? You would receive one-to-one tutorials and join in our seminars. You can book here for these courses.
Éoreds
We have been so heartened by the lovely messages of support we’ve received since we launched. Would you like to be on Éored, the supporters working group? This invitation is aimed at those of you who have lots of ideas and enthusiasm who went to help us develop our programme of events. Who better than a band of well-wishers to ride along with us?
Éored is Old English for cavalry, troop or band and gave Tolkien his name for the Riders of Rohan. Please register your interest by filling out our contact form and referencing ‘Éored’ in the notes.