The next few months are going to be a bit hectic! If you are attending any of the conferences or events below, don’t hesitate to come and say hello! 26-27 April – Keynote for GIFCon (Glasgow International Fantasy Conversations) 2018: ‘In the…
Alan Garner’s The Owl Service has its 50th anniversary today!
One of the books I’ve worked with very closely during the last few years is Alan Garner’s The Owl Service. Garner’s creative re-use of the tale of Lleu, Blodeuwedd, and Gronw from the Welsh Mabinogion made it a prime candidate…
Two books, two conferences, and other news
I am on annual leave at last (hooray!) and it’s time for another long-overdue update. It’s been a very busy few months, mainly taken up by working on two books (!) and being involved in a number of events. First…
2001 A Space Odyssey in kid’s TV
Having a 17-month-old toddler means that I was well awake and CBeebies was on at 7:40 am this Sunday. I was pulled out of my half-awake, half-asleep state, when in this morning’s Q Pootle 5 episode a monolith suddenly appeared in…
Mythgard classes, Tolkien’s Beowulf, JTR, Tolkien Companion and Kalamazoo
It’s been a while since my last update: I am back to lecturing full-time now, and I really hit the ground running this term! Among other modules, I taught Literary Transformations (Year 2), Gothic and Science Fiction (Year 3) and…
Cardiff Met Student Led Teaching Fellowship
My University (Cardiff Metropolitan University) launched a series of Student-led teaching fellowships this year, giving students the opportunity to recognise and reward good teaching practice. The students were asked to nominate lecturers for the following award categories: Best Feedback, Innovative…
Recent publications, conferences and other news
The last few months too many things have happened that I have not managed to report in a timely fashion – I have been getting into the habit of using facebook for daily and weekly updates, so feel free to…
Exciting new one-day courses at UWIC: Folklore, Literature and Tradition Through the Seasons
I am thrilled to announce an exciting new series of four thematically linked Day Schools at UWIC, which will explore Folklore, Literature and Tradition Through the Seasons. The Day Schools will focus on some of the most influential festivals, customs…
Do you know your classics?
This morning the Poet Laureate, Andrew Motion, told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme that it is becoming increasingly difficult to teach English Literature because students do not know the Bible or classical mythology. Having encountered very similar problems when teaching…
New “Choices” just published
The Centre for Lifelong Learning at Cardiff University has just launched its Spring/Summer 2009 programme of part-time courses for undergraduates and adult learners in the new Choices prospectus. The new Spring/Summer 2009 programme kicks off the New Year with almost…