Mythmakers

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:

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:

Have you enjoyed The Rings of Power Season 2? Join Julia Golding and Jacob Rennaker on today’s episode of Mythmakers as they offer their thoughts on the latest season of Amazon’s show. After sharing their initial impressions on the production and visual realisation, they delve deeper into the story choices, lore, and characters, before wrapping up with a rating out of 10 rings (what else would it be?). Along the way, they explore some controversial topics—does The Rings of Power have a female character problem, for instance? Have a listen and then 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:

Is it time that we revisit the category of 'New Adult' books again? Kate Dylan's fantasy heist story fits in this category, post YA but written for the reading tastes of the 20-something year old audience who've just graduated out that group.

On today’s episode of Mythmakers, Kate will be engaging in a fascinating discussion with Julia Golding about why the themes of being on the edge, close to shattering, work so well with that age group (and many others). They’ll also discuss queer relationships in novels and how the market has changed since Kate started writing. Think that you know where would be best to stage a heist? Their suggestions may surprise you!

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:

On today’s episode of Mythmakers, we’re meeting an exciting new writer coming out of the Bay Area. Hayley Dennings, author of This Ravenous Fate, has chosen the Harlem Renaissance for her vampire thriller and love story. Join us as she speaks with Julia Golding about her debut, the authors that inspired her and how she got published—this being her 5th book, an encouraging message for aspiring authors! They go on to discuss race and sapphic characters in fantasy, as well as Black History and much, much more. Hayley also has some great tips for other writers and explains the reading she does in the background to inspire her wonderful prose. Say tuned to find out where you should set up a speakeasy in a fantasy world…

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:

Welcome back to Mythmakers for our sixth season!

Megan Whalen Turner began her career in 1996 and is still going strong as her series The Queen's Thief becomes available in the UK and the Commonwealth for the first time. US readers have been enjoying the series for years and she won the Newbury Award and Mythopoeia Award in recognition of her achievements. Take a listen as she tells our host Julia Golding about her career, the books that inspired her, and her link to Oxford fantasy through Dianne Wynne Jones. Megan also shares with us her fascinating insights into her unique process for plotting! 

Season 5 of Mythmakers has been one of many adventures, and as the season comes to a close, we’re going to look back at 5 highlights from our most enjoyed episodes.

Join us as we dive back into the rising popularity of the Romantasy genre, before revisiting the presence of Fantasy at the Oscars. Appropriately, we’ll then steer the conversation towards our favourite Tolkien topics of this season, hearing some of Julia Golding’s travel recommendations when touring the film sites of Middle-earth in New Zealand, then hearing an extract from our sidecast where we’re taking a look at the LotR books through an author’s lens, before closing off by looking back into what we can expect in Peter Jackson and Andy Serkis' upcoming Hunt for Gollum film.

We thank you for accompanying us on this recent season and invite you to stay tuned for our upcoming journeys and discussions in Season 6.

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

As a fitting finale to our 5^th season of Mythmakers, we’re ending with Tolkien - namely his newly edited and augmented letters. Take a listen to Julia Golding and Jacob Rennaker's 10 out of 10 review of the edition, they’ll break it down to what we learn about Middle-earth, how Middle-earth influenced his view of our real world events, his relationships (particularly with his family) the wars and all aspect to the letters - there's so much to discuss and to enjoy! Stay tuned for two particularly shocking details buried in the letters about hobbits and horses…

Imagine starting your journey as a fantasy writer in a media storm where you are greeted as the next J K Rowling. That's precisely what faced Samantha Shannon when her first novel The Bone Season was published while she was in her early 20s. Ten years on and an established writer, Samantha has re-edited the book and is celebrating this anniversary by finishing the fifth in the series.

Join us on today’s episode of Mythmakers as she discusses her beginnings as an author, her relationship to Oxford, and how she goes about her writing. You’ll want to hear her fantasy tips and find out her pick for the best place to have ESP!

Today on Mythmakers, the Oxford Centre for Fantasy meets the winner of the Golden Pencil Prize for the best Dutch children's book of the year, Yorick Goldewijk, as his novel debuts in English. Movies Showing Nowhere, a fascinating middle-grade novel about memories, loss and time travel, is set in a special cinema which takes the hero, Cate, on an unexpected journey. This book will also take Yorick and Julia Golding down some interesting paths as they discuss the story and how we play out real world ideas in fantasy. Join us as they speak about misfits, grief, memory, therapy and so much more, ending off by deciding where in all the fantasy worlds they would go to look back at memories - from Galadriel's Mirror to Dumbledore's Pensieve - be sure to let us know if you agree with their picks!

For more information on Yorick visit his Facebook page at @yorick.goldewijk or follow him on Instagram at @yorickgoldewijk

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:

Which was your first Robin?

Today on Mythmakers, Julia Golding speaks with author T.K. Hall about Robin Hood and how this tale has changed with the centuries. We take our cue from the beginning of The Fellowship of the Ring where Galadriel says 'History became legend. Legend became myth.' Do all Robin stories fall somewhere along that line?

Tim has offered, in his version, a mythic Robin connected to the wild wood. Listen in to find out how the story was inspired by a trip up the Amazon, as Julia and Tim discuss just how difficult is it to write a big fantasy trilogy. Tim will take us through his struggles since the first book was published in 2014 – as we know, writing isn't easy! We’ll end on a lighter note by discussing where Robin Hood might best fit in another fantasy world.

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:

One of the things we love most is encouraging new voices in fantasy - and so on today’s episode of Mythmakers, we are delighted to meet Liz Hyder, author of award-winning Bearmouth and forthcoming The Twelve (coming October 2024 from Pushkin Press). The Twelve is a wonderful YA fantasy adventure set in Pembrokeshire Wales, it is a gripping mystery and a delightfully poetic read with a heart for the environment and the kids who don't quite fit in with other teens. Join us to hear Liz's journey to being a writer, the books she recommends and the processes she follows. 

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:

Have you heard about the new Lord of the Rings film? Not The Hunt for Gollum, but another from the Peter Jackson writing team! Philippa Boyens has teamed up with the next generation, in her daughter Pheobe Gittins and her writing partner Arty Papageorgiou, to produce an anime-style fantasy film based on the story of Helm Hammerhand and his family. A strong voice cast has been announced, led by Brian Cox joined by Miranda Otto returning as Eowyn, presumably in a storytelling capacity as Eowyn belongs to a much later generation. Join us as we find out where the material sits in the Tolkien legendarium. What does the story contain? Why is it being made? What do we think of the blend of Tolkien material and the anime style of Kenji Kamiyama? Take a listen and let us know your thoughts!

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:

Ever wondered what it would be like to be caught in a living nightmare and shipped off to a mysterious island to attend a lethal boarding school? You can find out by joining Julia Golding and Lucy Strange on today’s episode of Mythmakers as they celebrate the publishing of Lucy's new middle grade novel: The Island at the Edge of Night. Stick around for lots of writing tips from one of Britain's most exciting writers for younger readers, and to ponder your favourite fantasy island...