Cultural Inspirations Episodes

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 Introd...

Where in all the fantasy worlds is the best place to fly on dragonback?

Where in all the fantasy worlds is the best place to seek the Grail?

Where in all the fantasy worlds is the best place to take part in a magical contest?

Where in all the fantasy worlds is the best place to go to a stylish party?

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 c...

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 ...

This year marks 75 years since The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe arrived in bookshops, so join us on this anniversary episode of Mythmakers as Julia Golding and Jacob Rennaker discuss the origins of the book and consider how it stood out among its literary contemporaries before we reflect on its enduring legacy today. If you have an opinion on this, have a listen and join the conversation to let us know what you think! The book referred to in the news section is WARDROBE AND RINGS by Julia Go...

An exciting new voice has arrived in the epic fantasy genre. In this episode of Mythmakers, Julia Golding is joined by author Marvellous Michael Anson—known as Marve—to discuss her trilogy, The Firstborn of the Sun. Marve shares how her Nigerian heritage has shaped her writing, the role of her grandmother as the source of oral storytelling, and how to handle romance without heading down the romantasy direction. Join Julia and Marve as they dive into the topic of diversity in publishing, as well ...

Where in all the fantasy worlds is the best place to be an environmental campaigner?

Where in all the fantasy worlds is the best place to be a postman or postwoman?

Where in all the fantasy worlds is the best perilous realm?

Where in all the fantasy worlds is the best place to be a female leader?

Where in all the fantasy worlds is the best place to find yourself a hero?

Where in all the fantasy worlds is the best place to lay a curse on a book or library?

Where in all the fantasy worlds is the best place for giving a lecture on dragons?

Where in all the fantasy worlds is the best place to meet your fate?

Where in all the fantasy worlds is the best place to be turned into a vampire?

Where in all the fantasy worlds is the best place for a foundation/creation myth?

Where in all the fantasy worlds is the best place to be a cartoonist?

Where in all the fantasy worlds is the best place to be a mermaid?

Where in all the fantasy worlds is the best place to go through a wardrobe?

Where in all the fantasy worlds is the best place to set up a speakeasy?

Where in all the fantasy worlds is the best place to have ESP?