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.

(01:37) Tolkien the tinkerer: Palantír added mid-writing
(04:22) Leaving Isengard
(06:20) Merry & Gandalf: humour, recovery, and raising the stakes again
(12:15) Warning notes and the danger winding up
(18:24) The Palantír confrontation
(22:05) Aragorn’s shift, kingship emerging
(29:30) Saruman’s fatal step
(34:40) Ending Book Three

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

Website: https://centre4fantasy.com/website
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Today on Mythmakers, you’re invited to join us on a short visit to the world of fantasy romance. What's all the fuss about romantasy and where did it come from? What's the secret sauce (pun intended) of Fourth Wing? And why was the world so transfixed by Twilight back early 2000s?

Be sure to stay to the end to hear Julia’s recommendations of what you might like to read this Valentine's Day from the fantasy genre.

(01:00) The Rise of Romantasy and Fourth Wing
(02:00) Market Forces and Female Readership
(04:40) Twilight and the Power of Restrained Desire
(06:50) What Makes a True Fantasy Romance
(09:20) Recommended Romantic Fantasy Reads
(14:00) Writing Romance in the Finding Sky Series
(15:10) Why We Read Romance and the Hope of Finding the Right Person

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

Website: https://centre4fantasy.com/website
Instagram: https://centre4fantasy.com/Instagram
Facebook: https://centre4fantasy.com/Facebook
TikTok: https://centre4fantasy.com/tiktok

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.

(00:00) The Ruins of Isengard and the Approach to Saruman
(04:55) Saruman’s Voice and the Power of Persuasion
(08:00) Resistance, Discernment, and the Cracks in Saruman’s Authority
(10:29) Théoden’s Judgment and Saruman’s Fall from Power
(14:03) Gandalf’s Mercy and the Failure of Pride
(18:11) The Breaking of the Staff and the Palantír Revealed
(22:04) Aftermath, Creative Discovery, and Seeds for What Comes Next

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

Website: https://centre4fantasy.com/website
Instagram: https://centre4fantasy.com/Instagram
Facebook: https://centre4fantasy.com/Facebook
TikTok: https://centre4fantasy.com/tiktok

In this two-part episode of Mythmakers, Julia Golding is joined once more by Andrew Head to review the full-cast Audible production of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Together, their discussion broadens to consider whether this form of audiobook, when not adapted for the actors, works or if it is simply distracting.

In the second part of today’s episode, accompany Julia on a deep dive into the recent report on the top ten grossing films of all time – where fantasy titles dominate. And as for the most famous film you've (probably) never heard of? Stay tuned to uncover that cinematic mystery!

(00:05) Entering the Wizarding World Through Sound
(03:33) Full-Cast Audio and the Promise of Immersion
(06:45) Casting Familiar Voices in New Roles
(10:45) Music, Foley, and Building an Audio World
(15:14) Comparing Full-Cast Drama to Classic Narration
(19:22) When Dramatization Works — and When It Distracts
(22:25) Revisiting Harry Potter as a Listening Experience
(26:01) Fantasy, Spectacle, and the Global Box Office
(30:21) Why Fantasy Continues to Dominate Film Culture

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

Website: https://centre4fantasy.com/website
Instagram: https://centre4fantasy.com/Instagram
Facebook: https://centre4fantasy.com/Facebook
TikTok: https://centre4fantasy.com/tiktok

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) Setting the Scene
(02:19) Maritime Imagery, Storm Metaphors, and Tolkien’s Symbolism
(05:01) Hobbits, Food, and the Translation of Time
(07:15) Growth, Ent-Draught, and Storytelling Perspective
(09:37) Casting Away Treasure
(13:51) The Ents’ Assault on Isengard
(19:44) Gandalf’s Return, Soundscapes, and Narrative Tempo
(27:06) Wormtongue, Aftermath, and Foreshadowing the Shire

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

Website: https://centre4fantasy.com/website
Instagram: https://centre4fantasy.com/Instagram
Facebook: https://centre4fantasy.com/Facebook
TikTok: https://centre4fantasy.com/tiktok

What do the classical stories of myths and legends mean to us today? In this episode of Mythmakers, Dr. Lorna Robinson—founder of the Iris Project and director of the Rumble Museum at Cheney School in Oxford—joins Julia Golding to discuss her quest to bring these timeless tales to young people.

The conversation explores Lorna’s reinterpretation of Ovid's Metamorphoses in The Birder, a magical realism novel built around the idea that, as in the myths, people don’t die—they transform into other creatures or things.

The Birder is available now at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Birder-Dr-Lorna-Robinson/dp/B0DNC7V79X, alternatively you can ask your local bookshop to order a copy for you.

(00:05) Introducing Mythmakers and Dr Lorna Robinson
(05:40) Widening Access to Myths Through Education
(09:30) Young Readers, Modern Media, and Classical Stories
(13:40) Cultural Literacy and Why Myths Still Matter
(16:10) Writing The Birder and Imagining Metamorphosis
(20:10) Ovid, Magical Realism, and Belief in Ancient Stories
(23:20) Environmental Themes and Future Writing Projects
(25:00) Reading Ovid Today and Modern Retellings

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

Website: https://centre4fantasy.com/website
Instagram: https://centre4fantasy.com/Instagram
Facebook: https://centre4fantasy.com/Facebook
TikTok: https://centre4fantasy.com/tiktok

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.

(00:00) Introduction & The Road to Isengard as a Transitional Chapter
(02:40) Gimli and Legolas: Rivalry, Relief, and Friendship
(09:24) Burial, Honor, and Moral Order After Battle
(13:23) The Haunted Forest, the Huorns, and Unseen Judgment
(21:43) The Ents Revealed and Worlds Beyond Men
(28:29) The Ruin of Isengard and the Shadow of Orthanc
(38:48) Reunion at Isengard: Merry, Pippin, and Restored Fellowship

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

Website: https://centre4fantasy.com/website
Instagram: https://centre4fantasy.com/Instagram
Facebook: https://centre4fantasy.com/Facebook
TikTok: https://centre4fantasy.com/tiktok

In a bit of festive fun, join Julia Golding and Jacob Rennaker in this episode of Mythmakers as they explore how Christmas appears in the works of Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. From the icy rule of the White Witch to a surprise visit from Father Christmas in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, they dig into the lore behind Narnia’s wintry themes. Then it’s on to Tolkien’s Father Christmas Letters and a look at how Yule is celebrated in Middle-earth.

Listen in to find out where they’d each choose to spend the festive season—and let us know if you agree!

(00:00) Welcome to Mythmakers Christmas episode
(03:10) Old Yule vs Christmas in Narnia
(06:05) Gift-giving contrast: wants vs needs
(10:05) Myth, primary/secondary worlds, and “eucatastrophe” moments
(19:20) Tolkien’s Father Christmas Letters introduced
(23:22) North Pole adventures, goblins, war echoes, and deeper worldbuilding
(32:33) Middle-earth and Yule
(37:47) Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
(44:35) Choosing Narnia or Middle-earth

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

Website: https://centre4fantasy.com/website
Instagram: https://centre4fantasy.com/Instagram
Facebook: https://centre4fantasy.com/Facebook
TikTok: https://centre4fantasy.com/tiktok