Oxford University

Fantasy Literature

Education EN ↓ 63 episodes

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 Carro...

Author

Oxford University

Episodes

An Interview with Katherine Rundell, Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy Summer School Video 04.02.2026 8:57

An interview with Katherine Rundell 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.

An Interview with Samantha Shannon, Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy Summer School Video 23.01.2026 13:02

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.

An Interview with Minjie Su, Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy Summer School Video 20.01.2026 14:15

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.

An Interview with Theresa Specht, Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy Summer School Video 19.01.2026 9:23

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.

An Interview with Stuart Lee, Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy Summer School Video 19.01.2026 13:21

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.

An Interview with Sarah Mughal Rana, Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy Summer School Video 19.01.2026 11:23

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.

An Interview with Ros Ballaster, Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy Summer School Video 19.01.2026 9:41

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.

An Interview with Carolyne Larrington, Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy Summer School Video 19.01.2026 9:05

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.

An Interview with Katie Harling-Lee, Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy Summer School Video 19.01.2026 6:57

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.

An Interview with Giuseppe Pezzini, Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy Summer School Video 19.01.2026 9:08

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.

An Interview with Adam Roberts, Bloomsbury-Oxford Fantasy Summer School Video 19.01.2026 8:30

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.

Prequels and Sequels - Theresa Specht Video 01.12.2025 55:39

A look at prequels and sequels in transmedia fantasy - Theresa Specht 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.

Manga - Minjie Su Video 01.12.2025 59:14

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.

Games (short talk) - Stuart Lee Video 01.12.2025 16:32

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.

Game of Thrones - Carolyne Larrington Video 01.12.2025 1:01:03

The impact of George 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.

Arresting Strangeness and Fan Fiction (short talk) - Megan Laybourn Video 01.12.2025 14:05

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.

Interview with Samantha Shannon Video 01.12.2025 41:45

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.

Publishing Fantasy Panel - Bloomsbury Publishing Team Video 01.12.2025 1:22:06

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 Profess...

Jinn, Faith, and Oral Folklore (short talk) - Sarah Mughal Rana Video 01.12.2025 13:45

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.

After Tolkien (short talk) - Felix Taylor Video 01.12.2025 11:12

Susan Cooper, Diana Wynne Jones, and Alan 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.

J. R. R. Tolkien - Stuart Lee Video 01.12.2025 57:50

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.

Norse Myths and E. R. Eddison (short talk) - Grace Khuri Video 01.12.2025 13:08

A look at he influences of Norse Myths on E. R. Addison - Grace Khuri 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.

Weird Fiction (short talk) - Felix Taylor Video 01.12.2025 14:46

An introduction to weird fiction and the key writers - 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.

C. S. Lewis and the Origins of Narnia - Simon Horobin Video 01.12.2025 55:23

An introduction to C. S. Lewis and his Narnia novels - Simon Horobin 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.

The Oxford School of Fantasy (short talk) - Carolyne Larrington Video 01.12.2025 11:37

A short exploration of the 'Oxford School' of fantasy - Carolyne Larrington 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.