Podcast
Fantasy Literature
60
2
Fantasy Literature has emerged as one of the most important genres over the past few decades and now enjoys extraordinary levels of popularity. The impact of Tolkien’s Middle-earth works and the serialisation of George Martin’s ‘Game of Thrones’ books has moved these and their contemporaries into mainstream culture. As the popularity grows so does interest in the roots of fantasy, the main writers and themes, and how to approach these texts.
Oxford is a natural home to fantasy literature with those who worked or studied here having written so many famous and influential texts (e.g. Lewis Carroll (C. L. Dodgson), C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Susan Cooper, Diana Wynne Jones, Alan Garner, and Philip Pullman to name but a few) – leading to the notion of an ‘Oxford School of Fantasy’. These lectures, short talks, and interviews seek to take listeners into these works and these writers and beyond.
All material released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/ .
[Artwork by Minjie Su.]
Fantasy Literature has emerged as one of the most important genres over the past few decades and now enjoys extraordinary levels of popularity. The impact of Tolkien’s Middle-earth works and the serialisation of George Martin’s ‘Game of Thrones’ books has moved these and their contemporaries into mainstream culture. As the popularity grows so does interest in the roots of fantasy, the main writers and themes, and how to approach these texts.
Oxford is a natural home to fantasy literature with those who worked or studied here having written so many famous and influential texts (e.g. Lewis Carroll (C. L. Dodgson), C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Susan Cooper, Diana Wynne Jones, Alan Garner, and Philip Pullman to name but a few) – leading to the notion of an ‘Oxford School of Fantasy’. These lectures, short talks, and interviews seek to take listeners into these works and these writers and beyond.
All material released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/ .
[Artwork by Minjie Su.]
An Interview with Samantha Shannon, Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy Summer School
Episode in
Fantasy Literature
An interview with Samantha Shannon as part of the Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy summer school held in September 2025. In the interview the speaker is asked to elaborate on the genre of fantasy but also some of the key points raised in their talk.
13:02
An Interview with Minjie Su, Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy Summer School
Episode in
Fantasy Literature
An interview with Minjie Su as part of the Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy summer school held in September 2025. In the interview the speaker is asked to elaborate on the genre of fantasy but also some of the key points raised in their talk.
14:15
An Interview with Adam Roberts, Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy Summer School
Episode in
Fantasy Literature
An interview with Adam Roberts as part of the Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy summer school held in September 2025. An interview with Adam Roberts as part of the Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy summer school held in September 2025. In the interview the speaker is asked to elaborate on the genre of fantasy but also some of the key points raised in their talk.
08:30
An Interview with Giuseppe Pezzini, Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy Summer School
Episode in
Fantasy Literature
An interview with Giuseppe Pezzini as part of the Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy summer school held in September 2025. An interview with Giuseppe Pezzini as part of the Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy summer school held in September 2025. In the interview the speaker is asked to elaborate on the genre of fantasy but also some of the key points raised in their talk.
09:08
An Interview with Katie Harling-Lee, Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy Summer School
Episode in
Fantasy Literature
An interview with Katie Harling-Lee as part of the Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy summer school held in September 2025. An interview with Katie Harling-Lee as part of the Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy summer school held in September 2025. In the interview the speaker is asked to elaborate on the genre of fantasy but also some of the key points raised in their talk.
06:57
An Interview with Carolyne Larrington, Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy Summer School
Episode in
Fantasy Literature
An interview with Carolyne Larrington as part of the Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy summer school held in September 2025. An interview with Carolyne Larrington as part of the Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy summer school held in September 2025. In the interview the speaker is asked to elaborate on the genre of fantasy but also some of the key points raised in their talk.
09:05
An Interview with Ros Ballaster, Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy Summer School
Episode in
Fantasy Literature
An interview with Ros Ballaster as part of the Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy summer school held in September 2025. An interview with Ros Ballaster as part of the Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy summer school held in September 2025. In the interview the speaker is asked to elaborate on the genre of fantasy but also some of the key points raised in their talk.
09:41
An Interview with Sarah Mughal Rana, Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy Summer School
Episode in
Fantasy Literature
An interview with Sarah Mughal Rana as part of the Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy summer school held in September 2025. An interview with Sarah Mughal Rana as part of the Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy summer school held in September 2025. In the interview the speaker is asked to elaborate on the genre of fantasy but also some of the key points raised in their talk.
11:23
An Interview with Stuart Lee, Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy Summer School
Episode in
Fantasy Literature
An interview with Stuart Lee as part of the Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy summer school held in September 2025. An interview with Stuart Lee as part of the Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy summer school held in September 2025. In the interview the speaker is asked to elaborate on the genre of fantasy but also some of the key points raised in their talk.
13:21
An Interview with Theresa Specht, Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy Summer School
Episode in
Fantasy Literature
An interview with Theresa Specht as part of the Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy summer school held in September 2025. An interview with Theresa Specht as part of the Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy summer school held in September 2025. In the interview the speaker is asked to elaborate on the genre of fantasy but also some of the key points raised in their talk.
09:23
Prequels and Sequels - Theresa Sprecht
Episode in
Fantasy Literature
A look at prequels and sequels in transdmedia fantasy - Theresa Sprecht Part of the Bloomsbury-Oxford Summer School (23rd-25th September 2025) held at Exeter College. This summer school was supported by Bloomsbury Publishing Ltd and organised by Professors Carolyne Larrington and Stuart Lee of the Faculty of English, Oxford.
55:39
Manga - Minjie Su
Episode in
Fantasy Literature
A look at Manga, history, and fantasy Manga stories - MInjie Su Part of the Bloomsbury-Oxford Summer School (23rd-25th September 2025) held at Exeter College. This summer school was supported by Bloomsbury Publishing Ltd and organised by Professors Carolyne Larrington and Stuart Lee of the Faculty of English, Oxford.
59:14
Games (short talk) - Stuart Lee
Episode in
Fantasy Literature
Fantasy gaming - Stuart Lee Short talk (10 minutes) - Part of the Bloomsbury-Oxford Summer School (23rd-25th September 2025) held at Exeter College. This summer school was supported by Bloomsbury Publishing Ltd and organised by Professors Carolyne Larrington and Stuart Lee of the Faculty of English, Oxford.
16:32
Game of Thrones - Carolyne Larrington
Episode in
Fantasy Literature
The impact of G R R Martin's Game of Thrones and the TV series - Carolyne Larrington Part of the Bloomsbury-Oxford Summer School (23rd-25th September 2025) held at Exeter College. This summer school was supported by Bloomsbury Publishing Ltd and organised by Professors Carolyne Larrington and Stuart Lee of the Faculty of English, Oxford.
01:01:03
Arresting Strangeness and Fan Fiction (short talk) - Megan Laybourn
Episode in
Fantasy Literature
Fan fiction and fantasy literature - Megan Laybourn Short talk (10 minutes) - Part of the Bloomsbury-Oxford Summer School (23rd-25th September 2025) held at Exeter College. This summer school was supported by Bloomsbury Publishing Ltd and organised by Professors Carolyne Larrington and Stuart Lee of the Faculty of English, Oxford.
14:05
Interview with Samantha Shannon
Episode in
Fantasy Literature
Interview with Samantha Shannon Part of the Bloomsbury-Oxford Summer School (23rd-25th September 2025) held at Exeter College. This summer school was supported by Bloomsbury Publishing Ltd and organised by Professors Carolyne Larrington and Stuart Lee of the Faculty of English, Oxford.
41:45
Publishing Fantasy Panel - Bloomsbury Publishing Team
Episode in
Fantasy Literature
A panel discussion, with introduction by Sir Nigel Newton (founder of Bloomsbury Publishing Ltd) A lengthy discussion by commissioning editors on what they are looking for in new fantasy fiction and the current market. Part of the Bloomsbury-Oxford Summer School (23rd-25th September 2025) held at Exeter College. This summer school was supported by Bloomsbury Publishing Ltd and organised by Professors Carolyne Larrington and Stuart Lee of the Faculty of English, Oxford. Introduced by Nigel Newton CBE, Founder and Chief Executive of Bloomsbury Publishing, the afternoon started with a conversation between Zoe Gilbert (chair; Bloomsbury author and academic), Vicky Leech Mateos (Publishing Director, specialising in fantasy fiction), Lucy Strong (Bloomsbury Academic Editor for Literary Studies and Creative Writing), and Rebecca McNally (Bloomsbury Publishing Director & Editor in Chief, specialising in children's literature).
01:22:06
Jinn, Faith, and Oral Folklore (short talk) - Sarah Mughal Rana
Episode in
Fantasy Literature
A look at non-western fantasy literature and influences by the writer Sarah Mughal Rana. Short talk (10 minutes) - Part of the Bloomsbury-Oxford Summer School (23rd-25th September 2025) held at Exeter College. This summer school was supported by Bloomsbury Publishing Ltd and organised by Professors Carolyne Larrington and Stuart Lee of the Faculty of English, Oxford.
13:45
After Tolkien (short talk) - Felix Taylor
Episode in
Fantasy Literature
Susan Cooper, Diana Wynne Jones, and Alana Garner by Felix Taylor Short talk (10 minutes) - Part of the Bloomsbury-Oxford Summer School (23rd-25th September 2025) held at Exeter College. This summer school was supported by Bloomsbury Publishing Ltd and organised by Professors Carolyne Larrington and Stuart Lee of the Faculty of English, Oxford.
11:12
J. R. R. Tolkien - Stuart Lee
Episode in
Fantasy Literature
Applying the DISCWORLD framework to Tolkien - Stuart Lee Part of the Bloomsbury-Oxford Summer School (23rd-25th September 2025) held at Exeter College. This summer school was supported by Bloomsbury Publishing Ltd and organised by Professors Carolyne Larrington and Stuart Lee of the Faculty of English, Oxford.
57:50
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