Mythmakers

We are going on an adventure! Love The Lord of the Rings? Why not read along with us as we consider the books from the writer's point of view! Taking it chapter by chapter, novelist Julia Golding will reveal new details that you might not have noticed and techniques that will only go to increase your pleasure in future re-readings of our favourite novel. Julia also brings her expert knowledge of life in Oxford and English culture to explain some points that might have passed you by. 

(00:05) Chapter Three
(14:46) Journey, Fellowship, and Cultural Insights
(25:09) Ancient Lands and Unseen Threats
 

For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit:

A fabulous new addition to the world of Tolkien literature is the recently published collection of his poetry.

Today on Mythmakers, join Julia Golding and Jacob Rennaker as they guide you through the highlights and must-read pieces, delving into Tolkien’s remarkable range and versatility. They explore what the collection reveals about his creative processes—did you know that, at one point, there were nine rings for the Elf-lords? The poems capture Tolkien wrangling his ideas as they evolve into their final form. There’s much to learn and discuss—enjoy! 

The poems are edited by Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond and published by HarperCollins.

(00:05) Exploring Tolkien's Poetry Collections
(15:36) Evolution of Tolkien's Myth-Making
(21:49) Unveiling Tolkien's Poetic Process
(30:12) Tolkien's Poetry Evolution and Purpose
(37:41) Tolkien's Evolution of Poetic Hope
(47:40) Tolkien's Poetry
(52:14) Poetry in Fantasy Worlds

For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit:

We are going on an adventure! Love The Lord of the Rings? Why not read along with us as we consider the books from the writer's point of view! Taking it chapter by chapter, novelist Julia Golding will reveal new details that you might not have noticed and techniques that will only go to increase your pleasure in future re-readings of our favourite novel. Julia also brings her expert knowledge of life in Oxford and English culture to explain some points that might have passed you by. 

(00:05) The Council of Elrond Analysis
(08:53) Council of Elrond Characters and Politics
(20:43) The Council's Decision and Frodo's Offer
(32:35) Mythmakers Podcast

For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit:

It’s truly delightful when a world imagined by a dreamy child eventually blossoms into a novel for the adult writer.

In this episode of Mythmakers, Julia Golding meets with Georgia Channon, who first conceived the idea for her book many moons ago during a school trip to a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Georgia shares her journey from stage to page, along with insights into what publishers are currently seeking from authors in this genre. Together, they explore the abundance of portal fantasy stories and discuss particularly what Georgia is doing with hers. Stay tuned to discover where they would both choose to become heroes!

(00:05) Author's Journey Into Fantasy Accents
(12:52) Exploring Portals and Magical Worlds
(23:02) Discovering Heroes in Fantasy Worlds

For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit:

We are going on an adventure! Love The Lord of the Rings? Why not read along with us as we consider the books from the writer's point of view! Taking it chapter by chapter, novelist Julia Golding will reveal new details that you might not have noticed and techniques that will only go to increase your pleasure in future re-readings of our favourite novel. Julia also brings her expert knowledge of life in Oxford and English culture to explain some points that might have passed you by. 

(00:05) Exploring Many Meetings in Middle-earth
(11:37) Journey Into Tolkien's Ethereal World
(26:01) Character Development in Middle-earth
(38:52) Interweaving Poetry and Tolkien's Themes

For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit:

What a breath of fresh air it is to find an academic as passionate about discussing the adaptations of Tolkien works, as he is about Tolkien’s books!  

Today, on Mythmakers, in this wide-ranging interview, Julia Golding meets with Professor Nick Groom to discuss his book Twenty-First Century Tolkien. In the first part of their discussion, Nick provided a serious literary critical attention to The Lord of the Rings before moving on to explore its various adaptations. If you’ve not heard of it, you may be intrigued—perhaps even shocked—by the unmade John Boorman treatment, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the others, including Ralph Bakshi’s animated film, the BBC audio drama, as well as Peter Jackson’s films, The Rings of Power, and The War of the Rohirrim.

Join us for Part 2 of this fascinating dialog.

(00:06) Adapting Tolkien
(16:31) Exploring Adaptations of Tolkien's Works
(24:05) Examining Rings of Power Adaptations
(32:05) Fantasy Adaptations and Lockdown Worlds

For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit:

What a breath of fresh air it is to find an academic as passionate about discussing the adaptations of Tolkien works, as he is about Tolkien’s books!  

Today, on Mythmakers, in this wide-ranging interview, Julia Golding meets with Professor Nick Groom to discuss his book Twenty-First Century Tolkien. In the first part of their discussion, Nick provides a serious literary critical attention to The Lord of the Rings before moving on to explore its various adaptations. If you’ve not heard of it, you may be intrigued—perhaps even shocked—by the unmade John Boorman treatment, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the others, including Ralph Bakshi’s animated film, the BBC audio drama, as well as Peter Jackson’s films, The Rings of Power, and The War of the Rohirrim.

Join us for Part 1 of this fascinating dialog.

(00:05) Author's Analysis of "Flight to the Ford"
(14:06) Paths of Hope and History

For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit:

Words have the power to bless and to curse. In a fascinating discussion with Dr Eleanor Baker of Oxford University, Julia Golding takes Mythmakers on an exploration of the world of book curses in Eleanor’s Bodleian Library little book called—inevitably enough—Book Curses!

From there, we’ll go on to look at the Medieval culture of the book, and the role of magic books and curses in fantasy literature throughout the ages.

(00:05) Exploring Book Curses and History
(09:02) Magical Elements in Medieval Books
(18:08) Power of Curses in Fantasy Literature
(29:18) Exploring Magical Elements in Fantasy

For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit:

We are going on an adventure! Love The Lord of the Rings? Why not read along with us as we consider the books from the writer's point of view! Taking it chapter by chapter, novelist Julia Golding will reveal new details that you might not have noticed and techniques that will only go to increase your pleasure in future re-readings of our favourite novel. Julia also brings her expert knowledge of life in Oxford and English culture to explain some points that might have passed you by. 

(00:05) Author's Analysis of "Flight to the Ford"
(14:06) Paths of Hope and History

For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit:

Do you want to know the key to the Narnian universe?

Today, on Mythmakers, Julia Golding and Jacob Rennaker take a quick tour around the seven heavens as they discuss C.S. Lewis's book The Discarded Image, as well as the Medieval model, Michael Ward's groundbreaking study, Planet Narnia, and so much more. What other scientific model inspirations have writers found, and where would it be best to live within a Medieval universe? Join the conversation as we find out!

You certainly won't want to miss today’s episode of Mythmakers where Julia Golding is meeting with Professor John Holmes from Birmingham University.

John has made a name for himself by giving performances of Tolkien's 1938 lecture on dragons, complete with the magic lantern slides discovered in the archives of Oxford's Natural History Museum. Today, John and Julia will go on to discuss the fantasy writers of the Victorian period, Pre-Raphaelites, William Morris and Ruskin—all important influences on today’s modern fantasy, often mediated via Tolkien. In this discussion’s final lap, John talks about his work taking people into a very special forest—Ruskin Land—and researching their response to fantasy forests read in situ.

To learn more about Birmingham Institute for Forest Research (BIFoR), and to take a virtual tour of Ruskin Land, visit the links below:

Is this film a hit or miss? Did the New Zealand team, led by Phillippa Boyens, Japanese director Kenji Kamiyama and Executive Producer Peter Jackson, deliver? That's the question that preoccupies Julia Golding and Jacob Rennaker today as they dissect their response to The War of the Rohirrim, in the Season 7 debut episode of Mythmakers.

Listen in to their nuanced account of the good and less than great parts of the film, and stay tuned for what they believe is the biggest challenge faced by the upcoming movie: The Hunt for Gollum. Do you agree with their star rating? Contact the Oxford Centre for Fantasy and let us know your thoughts!

For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit:

Season 6 of Mythmakers has been a whirlwind of captivating stories, thought-provoking discussions, and fascinating insights into the world of fantasy and beyond. As we reach the end of this season, we're taking a moment to reflect on some of the standout moments with a collection of clips from five fan-favourite episodes.

Join Julia Golding as we journey to revisit a daring Young Adult heist set in a fantastical world, delve into the intersection of poetry and illustrations, and step onto the historic streets of Oxford to uncover the inspirations of C.S. Lewis. We'll dip back into our Sidecast, just as our adventurers are truly setting off, before taking another look at our verdict of The Rings of Power’s second season.

Thank you for joining us on this adventure so far—stay tuned as we continue to explore the fantasy genre, hear from a variety of esteemed authors, and so much more in season 7!

For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit:

How does one come up with an original idea for a fantasy story? Hannah Kingsley in her debut novel Soul Hate (due to come out in February 2025) has taken the trope of the ‘soul mate’ and asked the question: 'what if...you had a soul hate?'

Join us on today’s episode of Mythmakers as she discusses with Julia Golding the origins of her story and the importance of giving her heroine a job that she felt passionately about. Hannah, being a gifted artist herself, is crafting special editions of the novel with custom spray-painted edges – you’ll want to hear how she came to develop this part of her creativity!

Today, the Mythmakers podcast is setting sail with author Rose Black on a new fantasy pirate adventure for an adult audience: Fated Winds and Promising Seas (available on Hodderscape). Julia Golding discusses with Rose where the idea came from – and it’s not the usual place in this case!

In a book about freedom and predestination, they go on to discuss representation in fantasy books and writing from a perspective that might seem not to be your own – how an author has to navigate the shoals of freedom to write the story she feels drawn to create, and reception of that within the world. Finally, they settle on where the best place would be to be rescued by pirates!

For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit:

What would it be like to be the only human in a family of vampires? This is the dilemma that Helen Glynn Jones' character faces in the first part of her Ravens series: The Last Raven.

Helen joins Julia Golding in today’s episode of Mythmakers to discuss the tradition of vampire myths around the world in the places she's lived, and in her own version as she imagines that being human is what makes you the monster. They go on to discuss betrayal as a plotline, coming of age, as well as the experience of being edited. Stay tuned to find out their picks for the best place to be turned into a vampire.

Author Tad Williams is well-known for his epic fantasy series, such as The Dragonbone Chair, as well as his sci-fi and urban fantasy works. He joins us today on the Mythmaker's podcast to talk to Julia Golding about The Navigator's Children, his conclusion to a vast epic, this part called The Last King of Osten Ard. This achievement has been compared to Tolkien's legendarium in its ambitious scope, so it is not surprising to hear that Tolkien was one of Tad’s major influences. He tells Julia about how he manages such a complicated, woven plot, how he keeps track, and what steps he takes before getting down to writing, as well as much more. Stick around to hear where would be best for a creation myth in all fantasy! 

We are going on an adventure! Love The Lord of the Rings? Why not read along with us as we consider the books from the writer's point of view! Taking it chapter by chapter, novelist Julia Golding will reveal new details that you might not have noticed and techniques that will only go to increase your pleasure in future re-readings of our favourite novel. Julia also brings her expert knowledge of life in Oxford and English culture to explain some points that might have passed you by. 

For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit:

In a perfect fit for the Mythmakers podcast, join us for today’s episode where Julia Golding meets illustrator and author John Hendrix to talk about his entertaining graphic novel: The Mythmakers. This is the story of the friendship between J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, and not only is it a biography of their fellowship, but it also explores in the company of our guides, a lion and a wizard, what the story is and where it comes from. Julia and John conclude by pondering where in all the fantasy worlds is the best place for a cartoonist (and also discuss some of the worst!).

For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit:

We are going on an adventure! Love The Lord of the Rings? Why not read along with us as we consider the books from the writer's point of view! Taking it chapter by chapter, novelist Julia Golding will reveal new details that you might not have noticed and techniques that will only go to increase your pleasure in future re-readings of our favourite novel. Julia also brings her expert knowledge of life in Oxford and English culture to explain some points that might have passed you by. 

For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit:

Mermaids come with some watery baggage, which raises the question: just how does one do a fresh take on this iconic mythical creature?

This was the challenge facing Berlie Doherty and Tamsin Rosewell - a writer and illustrator team. Find out their answers to this question in today’s episode of Mythmakers where they’ll be diving into the reinvention of mermaids in their fascinating conversation with Julia Golding. Did you know there are legends of inland mermaids? And where exactly is the best place to be a mermaid in all the fantasy worlds?

We are going on an adventure! Love The Lord of the Rings? Why not read along with us as we consider the books from the writer's point of view! Taking it chapter by chapter, novelist Julia Golding will reveal new details that you might not have noticed and techniques that will only go to increase your pleasure in future re-readings of our favourite novel. Julia also brings her expert knowledge of life in Oxford and English culture to explain some points that might have passed you by. 

For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit:

Today on Mythmakers, Julia Golding is joined by Professor Simon Horobin who has stepped into C.S. Lewis's shoes at Magdalen College, Oxford, and now he has written a beautiful book detailing Lewis's relationship with the iconic city. Join us as he discusses with Julia the peculiarities of college life in Oxford, the move to Cambridge later in life, Headington and the Kilns, as well as C.S. Lewis as a poet. The discussion ends off by venturing through the wardrobe into different fantasy lands…

We are going on an adventure! Love The Lord of the Rings? Why not read along with us as we consider the books from the writer's point of view! Taking it chapter by chapter, novelist Julia Golding will reveal new details that you might not have noticed and techniques that will only go to increase your pleasure in future re-readings of our favourite novel. Julia also brings her expert knowledge of life in Oxford and English culture to explain some points that might have passed you by. 

For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit:

Hero or Villain? These archetypal characters are the stock-in-trade of the fantasy genre, and so you’ll definitely enjoy this newest poetry anthology compiled by Ana Sampson, an experienced curator of poetry collections, and illustrated by the instantly recognizable pencil of Chris Riddell, multi-award-winning illustrator and former UK Children's Laureate.

Today on Mythmakers, in conversation with Julia Golding, Ana and Chris journey through history and genres, unearthing the gems. They reflect on the poems that inspired them as children, the role of compendiums in nurturing the artistic imagination, and why different approaches are often used to tell the same tale. They also explore the influence of politics on the anthology—and vice versa, and so much more. And if that wasn’t enough, Chris treats us to a live dragon sketch while several poems are read aloud—making this a truly unmissable episode!

Their book, Heroes and Villains: Poems about Legends (Macmillan), is available for purchase now. Credits for the poems read in full are: 'Nan Hardwicke Turns into a Hare' by Wendy Pratt, 'St Margaret of Antioch Speaks' by Jan Dean, 'If...' by James Carter, and 'The Dragons are Hiding' by Brian Moses.

For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit: