Take a break from all things festive and journey to fantasy worlds at the Mitchell Library with one, some or all of our digital screenings of fascinating author events.
FANTASY WORLDS: FANTASY MAPS: 11AM-12PM.
We always talk about reading maps, and as lines on a page and, as two-dimensional depictions of a three-dimensional world, they can only ever offer us a representation of reality. But what of maps of fictional or even fantastical places? Why are fantasy writers from J.R.R. Tolkien to George R. R. Martin, in particular, so drawn to cartography? What do these fabulous charts add to the story? When did it all begin? How close do they map onto the timeless worlds they illustrate? Where does the line lie between truth and fiction in the weird and wonderful landscapes of gamers, ancient and modern? Our panel will help unravel the mystery of fantastical maps in conversation with the author Travis Elborough.
Described by The Guardian as ‘one of the country’s finest pop culture historians’, Travis Elborough has been a freelance author, broadcaster and cultural commentator for over two decades now. Elborough’s books include Through the Looking Glasses: The Spectacular Life of Spectacles and Atlas of Vanishing Places, winner of Edward Stanford Travel Book Award in 2020.
Fantasy Worlds: Mary Shelley, Uprisings and Rebellions: 12:30-1:30pm
How Frankenstein paved the way for generations of marginalised voices in fiction.
FANTASY WORLDS VISUALISING FANTASY: 2-3PM
Brian and Wendy Froud and Alan Lee in conversation with Terri Windling.
FANTASY WORLDS: REBECCA F. KUANG: 3:30-4:30PM
In conversation with the award-winning author of The Poppy War trilogy, Babel and Yellowface.
Drop In, No Booking Required