Mythmakers

Who are Bingo, Odod and Frodo? We'll give you a clue when we say that when Tolkien first started work on The Lord of the Rings he had a very different idea about his story and where it might be going! In this episode, Julia Golding considers how the writing process happens. Did Tolkien have a carefully tended allotment, or was he slashing a path through the wild? Was Lewis driven only by pictures...

Following the trailer reveal for the Amazon Prime TV series title - Rings of Power - Julia Golding and Paula Kalamaras discuss what we've learned about the direction in which they are taking the series. We now also have a date for the first season and release dates for subsequent episodes. Which well-known characters are likely to return? Who is Celebrimbor? Did you know elves had secret societies...

In 2021 Harper Collins published The Nature of Middle-earth by JRR Tolkien, edited by Carl F Hostetter - a fascinating collection of Tolkien's working materials. In this episode Julia Golding reviews the book, looking under the bonnet/hood of Tolkien's creativity. Is this worth reading if you are a Tolkien fan? Listen to find out. Particular highlights are the connection between free will and crea...

Spiderman No Way home ended the year with over $1 billion at the box office and has joined the top ten highest-grossing films. In this episode ( contains spoilers ), Julia Golding is joined by Ed, our resident Marvel fan at the centre, to discuss all things Spidey. Where did Spiderman the film come from? We go back in time to look at the Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield films, discussing what wen...

In today's podcast, Julia Golding is joined by internationally renown composer, Richard Blackford. Starting with his early community opera of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, to working with Maya Angelou on a piece for the inauguration of President Clinton, and more recently writing a piece based on a survivor's COVID diary, Richard is a man of incredible creativity. Join Julia and Richard as they...

'This is the Great story of the North, which should be to all our race what the Tale of Troy was to the Greeks.' This isn't a quote from Tolkien about what he hopes to do with his legendarium but his fantasy writing predecessor William Morris, writing about the Saga of the Volsungs. The Mythmakers podcast is delighted to welcome special guest, Dr. Ingrid Hanson, lecturer in English Literature at t...

Tolkien is a rich inspiration for so many of us so when Julia Golding found that one of the online fantasy course students, Stanley Hanna, had taught a seminar series on him for the Ottawa School of Theology and Spirituality, she thought he would make a great guest for the podcast. Join Stanley, a semi-retired Presbyterian minister from Quebec, and Julia as they discuss the nature of good and evil...

Join the Oxford Centre for Fantasy's holiday season livestream on December 1st at 1pm ET | 6pm GMT with special guests, poet and Tolkien expert, Malcolm Guite, and Kath Langrish (From Spare Oom to Wardrobe: Travels in Narnia with my 9-year-old self). We'll be starting Advent with C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, diving into their books to join in the Christmas spirit. We'll gallop like Rudolph acros...

Oxford is a story hotspot so it is wonderful that there is a Story Museum in the city. Julia Golding is joined in this week's episode by the director of the museum, Caroline Jones, to hear the tale of how the museum came to be. From medieval monks in the basement to telephonists in the halls, the space has had an eventful history. Caroline takes you on an imaginary tour and we call in on Narnia an...

Today Julia is joined by Nariel, a representative of the minority language community of Elfdalian. Nariel, who recently completed our Online Fantasy Course, has put all of us right about some misconceptions about Nordic culture so we invited her to share her story on the podcast. In early 2021 the European Council declared Elfdalian a minority language that should be protected and urged Sweden to...

What else is there to listen to beyond Andy Serkis' reading of The Lord of the Rings? Julia Golding takes us on a tour of the main audiobooks of Tolkien's works, first of all calling in on The Hobbit and then going to the Unfinished Tales and other works. Where can you find Saruman (aka Christopher Lee) as your reader? Or Sir Derek Jacobi? Did you know Brian Blessed, your favourite 'shouty' actor...

Are you a re-reader of your favourite fantasy books? Join Julia Golding as she recalls the first time through the wardrobe and into Middle-earth. This leads to thoughts on the power of fantasy and why some dislike it. She goes on to look at Margaret Atwood, Terry Pratchett, and others as they defend the genre. Next is a deep-dive into why LotR in particular works as a book to return to again and a...

In today’s episode, Julia Golding is joined by Lisa Coutras, author of Tolkien’s Theology of Beauty: Majesty, Splendor, and Transcendence in Middle-earth. Lisa is a theologian with an interest in beauty as it appears in the works of Tolkien. We discuss how this quality underpins his world, a reflection of the values of his Catholic faith but written so as to be accessible to all as it is not narro...

Ever wondered about the link between fantasy writers like Tolkien and the multitude of subcultures they inspired, from Dungeons and Dragons to LARPing, and video gaming. In this episode, we discuss these worlds with special guest Ethan Gilsdorf, author of Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks. We discuss Ethan’s quest to rediscover the world that enchanted his teenage self before such things became ‘coo...

What was it like to be behind the scenes as the very first Star Wars films were made? What was it like to be in the room to hear John Williams' soundtrack for the first time? What were the differences working with George Lucas and James Cameron (Avatar)? And what Starwars memorabilia has our special guest got saved up for his retirement - and on which planet will that be? In this special edition o...

Do you not know who Prince Imrahil is? Or Erkenbrand? Then you've seen the film but not read the book. In this episode, we talk about why you really must go back to the book to get the war. Do you have views on what has been left out by the film adaptation of LotR? Starting with the fine details left out of the Peter Jackson movies, we visit our favourite missing characters - Erkenbrand, the Grey...

Big news for Tolkien fans is Andy Serkis has just released with Harper Collins and on Audible an unabridged version of The Lord of the Rings. In this episode, Juia Golding reviews the recording, comparing it to the BBC dramatised version (1981) and the Robert Inglis reading (1990). Which has the best songs? Who dares to dip into the appendices? Is there a rival to Andy's Gollum? Julia concludes wi...

Julia Golding is joined by Ed Saunders, fantasy enthusiast, to discuss the recent big fantasy adaptations. What did The Witcher get right in its first series, what did The Mandalorian excel at, and where did Game of Thrones go wrong with the last season's story arc after a strong start. Is having a lockdown secret script a problem for creatives when it comes to testing story instincts? How are the...

Excited for the Tolkien TV series made by Amazon Prime? Content remains secret but we know that it is to be set in the Second Age, the time of the forging of the Rings of Power and Numenor. In the first livestream from the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, we take a look at the possibilities, offering a one-stop guide to what you might want to know. Join writers, Julia Golding and Paula Kalamaras, and fi...

One of the biggest fantasy worlds of modern times is the Marvel universe. Julia is in conversation with Ed Saunders, tracing the origins of the MCU in comics and latterly in films. We find out what the Marvel method is and how some creatives flourish while others struggle. Enjoy our deep dive into the strong currents of the fluctuating fortunes of the company, including the phase when they sold al...

Today Julia Golding is joined by Matt Fox, creator of the Magic of Middle Earth exhibition currently showing at the Willis Museum, Basingstoke, Hampshire, open until 16 October. Matt's an avid collector of Tolkien-related artifacts. Hear about his huge collection, from artworks to bigatures, how he has recreated the Battle for Helm's Deep, and the chance for you to channel your inner hobbit for a...

There are many experts on the Inklings but there are still lots you might not know about how they lived in their home of Oxford. Julia Golding challenges some myths and makes some new ones about Tolkien and Lewis, and their experiences here. Was the Eagle and Child Pub where Narnia and The Lord of the Rings was first read aloud - or was that somewhere else? What's the mental geography of Oxford fo...

Why is Oxford, England, such a fantasy hotspot? From Lewis Carroll to Philip Pullman, Diana Wynne-Jones to Deborah Harkness, it has inspired writers and is even the location for many fantasy stories. It is famously home of the Inklings whose leading figures, Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, established two of the biggest fantasy worlds yet invented. So what's the secret? Is it the university with its excha...

Mythmakers is the podcast for fantasy fans and creatives brought to you by the Oxford Centre for Fantasy. We will be exploring fantasy old and new, look at what went into writing your favourite series, learn tips from the experts, and discuss new books, TV shows and films. Mythmakers is brought to you from the city of Oxford - home to many of the world's greatest fantasy writers, from J.R.R. Tolki...