Here you can find details of past events organized by the Centre or by our members, including links to recordings where available.
2024 Events
Perspectives on Fantasy: Authors' Roundtable - 1 May 2024
- Imagining the Celtic Past in Modern Fantasy, edited by Dimitra Fimi and Alistair Sims
- William Hope Hodgson and the Rise of the Weird, by Timothy S. Murphy
- Mapping Middle-earth, by Anahit Behrooz
- Reading Tolkien in Chinese, by Eric Reinders
At the event, series authors Timothy S. Murphy, Eric Reinders and Alistair Sims were in conversation with the series editors, Brian Attebery, Dimitra Fimi and Matthew Sangster, followed by discussion and audience questions.
2023 Events
Realms of Imagination Launch Event - 14 December 2023
On 14 December 2023 the Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic celebrated the launch of Realms of Imagination: Essays from the Wide Worlds of Fantasy, released by British Library Publishing as a companion volume to the Fantasy: Realms of Imagination exhibition. This highly-illustrated book contains twenty essays providing a wide range of perspectives on Fantasy, its forms and its communities. Collection editors Tanya Kirk and Matthew Sangster were in conversation with essay authors Cristina Bacchilega, Dimitra Fimi, Sofia Samatar and Ann VanderMeer.
Tolkien and Religion in the Twenty-First Century - 26 November 2023
The Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic co-organised with the Tolkien Society an online seminar on: "Secondary Believers, Secondary Worlds: Tolkien and Religion in the Twenty-First Century" on Sunday 26 November 2023. This seminar was co-run by the Tolkien Society’s Education Secretary, Will Sherwood, and Tom Emanuel, PhD student, University of Glasgow.
- You can find out more about the seminar, including the CFP and full programme of speakers here
- You can read the paper abstracts here
- You can watch the presentations from the seminar here
Framing Fantasy: Brian Attebery and Matthew Sangster discuss the affordances of Fantasy - 5 October 2023
To celebrate the publication of Matthew Sangster's An Introduction to Fantasy (Cambridge University Press, 2023) and Brian Attebery's Fantasy: How it Works (Oxford University Press, 2022) receiving the 2023 Mythopoeic Scholarship Award in Myth and Fantasy Studies, Glasgow's Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic hosted an online conversation between the two authors on Thursday 5 October 2023, exploring how we can make compelling cases for Fantasy's particular qualities and values.
Restorying Trans Game Studies: Playing with Memory, Fiction, and Magic as Sites for Transformative Identity Work - 20 July 2023
On 20 July 2023, at 6pm BST, we were delighted to host a talk and Q&A with Dr Theresa Jean Tanenbaum, Associate Professor in the Department of Informatics at UC Irvine. Her talk was entitled: "Restorying Trans Game Studies: Playing with Memory, Fiction, and Magic as Sites for Transformative Identity Work". This event was chaired by Gabriel Elvery.
Puck’s Players Presents: Nicholas Stuart Gray’s The Seventh Swan - 7-8 July 2023
Amateur theatre company Puck’s Players presented a stage production of Nicholas Stuart Gray’s The Seventh Swan, on 7 and 8 July 2023 at Govanhill Parish Church.
Puck’s Players was originally formed in 2020 by Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic members Marita Arvaniti and Chris Lynch-Becher with the aim to stage and perform fantasy theatre. This was their second production, after a successful staging of Terry Pratchett’s The Truth, adapted by Steven Briggs in the summer of 2022.
Written by beloved Scottish fantasy novelist and playwright Nicholas Stuart Gray in 1962, The Seventh Swan tells the story of Alasdair, a young man cursed with a swan’s wing for a right arm. This unique sequel to Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved fairytale “The Wild Swan” relocates the story to the clan times of 16th Central Scotland. Could Alasdair ever feel human again? Could he forget the freedom of the sky? Mixing witchcraft, family drama, and high adventure, the exploits of Alasdair, Fenella and the mercenary Ewen are a poignant blend of humour, excitment, and tragedy.
Puck’s Players offered audiences a classic family tale filled to the brim with adventure and romance, tragedy and heroism!
This production was free, or pay what you can. Any proceeds have been used to cover production costs/pay toward future productions. If you want to support Puck’s Players, please visit our Ko-fi page to donate: https://ko-fi.com/pucksplayers
To see a cast list and photos from the rehearsals, visit this link.
International Medieval Congress 2023, Leeds, 3-6 July 2023
Sessions sponsored by the Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic at the International Medieval Congress 2023, Leeds, 3-6 July 2023
Session 944: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and Questions of Adaptation and Authenticity: A Round Table Discussion (Tuesday 4 July 2023)
Sponsor: Centre for Fantasy & the Fantastic, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow
Organiser: Andrew Higgins, Centre for Fantasy & the Fantastic, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow
Moderator/Chair: Andrew Higgins, Centre for Fantasy & the Fantastic, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow
Our continuing Tolkien at Leeds countable series will explore one of the most significant new adaptations of Tolkien's works, Amazon Prime's five season The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series. Participants will offer short presentations on some element of this series and how it is (or is not) in dialogue with Tolkien's texts and explore what this new adaptation develops or reveals in the expanding body of adaptive works based in some form on Tolkien's world-building.
Session 1236: Tolkien's Work and Academic Networks at the University of Leeds (Wednesday 5 July 2023)
Sponsor: Centre for Fantasy & the Fantastic, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow
Organiser: Andrew Higgins, Centre for Fantasy & the Fantastic, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow
Moderator/Chair: Sara Brown, Department of Literature & Language, Signum University, New Hampshire
J. R. R. Tolkien's Intensive Work on Middle English Language and Literature during His Six Years at Leeds
Andoni Cossio, Facultad de Letras, Universidad del País Vasco - Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Vitoria-Gasteiz
'An industrious little devil': Tolkien's Development of the Elvish Languages at Leeds, 1920-1925
Andrew Higgins, Centre for Fantasy & the Fantastic, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow
Leeds and the Medieval Foundation of J. R. R. Tolkien's 'Father Christmas' Letters
Kristine Larsen, Department of Earth & Space Sciences, Central Connecticut State University
Session 1336: New Works, Networks, and Methods in Tolkien and Middle-earth Research (Wednesday 5 July 2023)
Sponsor: Centre for Fantasy & the Fantastic, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow
Organiser: Andrew Higgins, Centre for Fantasy & the Fantastic, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow
Moderator/Chair: Andrew Higgins, Centre for Fantasy & the Fantastic, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow
Tolkien Studies and the 'Theological Turn'
Mitchell Kooh, Department of English, University of Notre Dame, Indiana
Queer Time and Space in Tolkien's Middle-earth
Yvette Kisor, School of Humanities & Global Studies, Ramapo College of New Jersey
Reading Tolkien's First Age through the Lens of Michel de Certeau
Cami Agan, Department of Language & Literature, Oklahoma Christian University
Queer Phenomenology, Lesbian Ents, and the Future of Queer Tolkien Studies
Christopher Vaccaro, Department of English, University of Vermont
Session 1536: J. R. R. Tolkien: Medieval Roots and Modern Branches (Thursday 6 July 2023)
Sponsor: Centre for Fantasy & the Fantastic, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow
Organiser: Andrew Higgins, Centre for Fantasy & the Fantastic, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow
Moderator/Chair: Andrew Higgins, Centre for Fantasy & the Fantastic, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow
Riddles in the Mark: The Usage of 'Riddle' in Book III of The Lord of the Rings as Micro Level Interlacing
Christian S. Trenk, Theologische Fakultät, Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt
Dark are the Pathless Ways
Scott Hodgman, Department of Literature & Language, Signum University, New Hampshire
'This is a serious journey, not a hobbit walking-party': Travel and the Quest Motif in Tolkien's Work
Eva Lippold, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, Open University, Coventry
'We swears on the precious': Oath-Making and Oath-Keeping in Tolkien - Literary Devices or Spiritual Statements?
Gaëlle Abaléa, Centre d’Etudes Médiévales Anglaises (CEMA), Sorbonne Université, Paris
Session 1636: Tolkien's Medieval Entanglements (Thursday 6 July 2023)
Sponsor: Centre for Fantasy & the Fantastic, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow
Organiser: Andrew Higgins, Centre for Fantasy & the Fantastic, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow
Moderator/Chair: Kristine Larsen, Department of Earth & Space Sciences, Central Connecticut State University
The Interlaced Entanglement of 'The King's Touch'
Amy Amendt-Raduege, Department of English, Western Washington University
The Theme of Decay and Fall in Tolkien's Works and its Medieval Entanglements
Andrzej Wicher, Zakład Angielskiego Dramatu, Teatru i Filmu, Uniwersytet Łódzki
Sam the Scop: The Entanglements of Poetry in Beowulf and The Lord of the Rings
Kirsten Ogilby, Institut for Engelsk, Germansk og Romansk, Københavns Universitet
Session 1736: Disentangling the Second Age of Tolkien's Middle-earth (Thursday 6 July 2023)
Sponsor: Centre for Fantasy & the Fantastic, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow
Organiser: Andrew Higgins, Centre for Fantasy & the Fantastic, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow
Moderator/Chair: Andrew Higgins, Centre for Fantasy & the Fantastic, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow
The Tale of Aldarion and Erendis: Not Just a Medieval Love Story
Sara Brown, Department of Literature & Language, Signum University, New Hampshire
Out of the Great Sea: Of Elendil and Legends Old and New
S. R. Westvik, School of History, University College Dublin / Historisches Institut, Universität Potsdam
Untangling the Second Age Tale of Years
James Tauber, Department of Literature & Language, Signum University, New Hampshire
The Roads to Númenor: Navigating Tolkien's Mythopoeic Network
Clara Colin Saïdani, Faculté Lettres et Langages, Nantes Université
10-12 May 2023: GIFCon 2023: Boundaries and Margins in Fantasy (online)
Our 6th GIFCon (Glasgow International Fantasy Conversations, run annually) was held online for the third time in May 2023. The theme was Boundaries and Margins in Fantasy.
See here for full details, programme, and links to recorded keynotes.
58th International Congress on Medieval Studies, May 11–13, 2022
Sessions sponsored by the Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic at the 58th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Kalmazoo, May 9–14, 2022
Session 255: Tolkien and Medieval Constructions of Race - A Roundtable (Friday 12 May 2023)
Sponsor: Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic, Univ. of Glasgow
Presider: Kristine A. Swank, Univ. of Glasgow
Organizer: Mariana Rios Maldonado, Univ. of Glasgow
A roundtable discussion with Robin Anne Reid, Independent Scholar; Luke Shelton,
Univ. of Glasgow; Mercury Natis, Signum Univ.; Toni DiNardo, Univ. of North Carolina–
Chapel Hill; and Lars Olaf Johnson, Cornell Univ.
Respondent: Mariana Rios Maldonado
Session 328: Ursula K. Le Guin’s Marvelous Medievalism
Sponsor: Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic, Univ. of Glasgow
Presider: Larry Swain, Signum Univ.
Organizer: Kristine A. Swank, Univ. of Glasgow
“Guilt within the walls”: Imprisoned Characters in Le Guin’s Short Stories
Lily T. Tun, Texas A&M Univ.
“She too is a patterner”: Arachnids in Earthsea and “Buffalo Gals”
Kristine A. Swank, Univ. of Glasgow
World-Building and Language Invention: The Kesh Language of Ursula K. Le-
Guin’s Always Coming Home
Andrew Higgins, Independent Scholar
27 April 2023: Celebrating 70 years since J.R.R. Tolkien's Sir Gawain lecture in Glasgow (1953-2023)
On 15 April 1953, Tolkien delivered the W.P. Ker Memorial Lecture, on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, to an audience of 300 at the University of Glasgow. The essay was published posthumously, in 1983, in The Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays, edited by Christopher Tolkien.
On Thursday 27 April 2023, 5-6:30pm, on-campus (Joseph Black Building) and online, we celebrated the 70th anniversary of the lecture and its significance, Tolkien's links to Glasgow, and the importance of the Sir Gawain text in Tolkien's creativity.
Our panel of speakers featured:
- Professor Jeremy Smith, Honorary Senior Research Fellow, University of Glasgow
- Dr Lydia Zeldenrust, Lecturer in Middle English Literature, University of Glasgow
- Dr Andoni Cossio, Postdoctoral Fellow, Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic, University of Glasgow
- Chair: Dr Dimitra Fimi, Senior Lecturer in Fantasy and Children’s Literature, and Co-Director of the Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic
For those who attended on-campus, there was an opportunity to see a pop-up exhibition with documentation related to Tolkien’s appointment as the 1953 W.P. Ker Memorial Lecturer (including a hand-written letter by Tolkien), in collaboration with Archives & Special Collections, University of Glasgow.
The event was recorded and can be accessed via our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4c_bKoTM0k&t=1865s
19 April 2023: Challenging the Past (Canon and History) in SFF Narratives
This was the fourt and final of a series of four public events, organised by the AHRC-funded Research Network "Future Voices of Scottish Science Fiction and Fantasy". The Network, led by Dr Dimitra Fimi (Principal Investigator) and Professor Esther MacCallum-Stewart (Co-Investigator), privileges under-represented Scottish voices of Science Fiction and Fantasy (SFF) working across different media (literature, gaming, film, art), with an emphasis on BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities as well as practitioners with disabilities.
This fourth event, which was held online on 19 April 2023, featured authors Amal El-Mohtar and T.L. Huchu, poet Harry Josephine Giles, and artist Iain Clarke, chaired by author Oliver K. Langmead.
The research question was: How do contemporary practitioners respond to the established SFF canon by challenging narrow mindsets and the lack of diverse representations?
- You can watch the recording of this event here
- You can take part in the ongoing post-event Discussion on the CFF Discord server here
14 March 2023: Representations of Social Issues in SFF Worlds and Narratives
This was the third of a series of four public events, organised by the AHRC-funded Research Network "Future Voices of Scottish Science Fiction and Fantasy". The Network, led by Dr Dimitra Fimi (Principal Investigator) and Professor Esther MacCallum-Stewart (Co-Investigator), privileges under-represented Scottish voices of Science Fiction and Fantasy (SFF) working across different media (literature, gaming, film, art), with an emphasis on BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities as well as practitioners with disabilities.
This third event, which was held online on 14 March 2023, featured author Ellen Kushner, producer-composer Gordon Johnstone, and composer & sound artist Luci Holland, chaired by author Ken MacLeod.
The research question was: How can SFF creativity make us think differently about social problems and current/topical issues that dominate our everyday lived experiences?
- You can watch the recording of this event here
- You can read the academic response to the event by Dr. Parinita Shetty here
- You can take part in the ongoing post-event Discussion on the CFF Discord server here
2022 Events
7 December 2022: Inclusive worldbuilding in SFF across different media
This was the first of a series of four public events, organised by the AHRC-funded Research Network "Future Voices of Scottish Science Fiction and Fantasy". The Network, led by Dr Dimitra Fimi (Principal Investigator) and Professor Esther MacCallum-Stewart (Co-Investigator), privileges under-represented Scottish voices of Science Fiction and Fantasy (SFF) working across different media (literature, gaming, film, art), with an emphasis on BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities as well as practitioners with disabilities.
This second event, which was held online on 12 December 2022, featured writers Kirsty Logan and Lorraine Wilson, producer-composer Lilly Higham, and artist Tanya Roberts.
The research question was: How does SFF engage with the future as a time when inequalities may be altered/improved, or a space to imagine the worst if inequalities are allowed to continue?
- You can watch the recording of this event here
- You can read the academic response to the event by Dr. Taylor Driggers here
- You can take part in the ongoing post-event Discussion on the CFF Discord server here
3-4 December 2022: When it Changed: Women in SF/F Since 1972
To mark the 50th anniversary of Joanna Russ’s landmark short story, ‘When It Changed’, the Science Fiction Foundation, and the Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic and Games and Gaming Lab at the University of Glasgow co-hosted an online conference on women’s role in reshaping science fiction. The conference featured keynotes by Lisa Yaszek, Cheryl Morgan and Joy Sanchez-Taylor.
- The keynotes were recorded and can be accessed at the Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic YouTube channel:
- The conference programme can be found here
- The confere CFP can be accessed here
12 October 2022: Inclusive worldbuilding in SFF across different media
This was the first of a series of four public events, organised by the AHRC-funded Research Network "Future Voices of Scottish Science Fiction and Fantasy". The Network, led by Dr Dimitra Fimi (Principal Investigator) and Professor Esther MacCallum-Stewart (Co-Investigator), privileges under-represented Scottish voices of Science Fiction and Fantasy (SFF) working across different media (literature, gaming, film, art), with an emphasis on BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities as well as practitioners with disabilities.
This first event, which was held online on 12 December 2022, featured author Hal Duncan, screenwriter James T. Harding, film-maker and comic writer Etienne Kubwabo, and poet Rachel Plummer.
The research question was: How is worldbuilding used as a creative practice in SFF to imagine different/alternative worlds and address concerns about inclusivity and diversity?
- You can watch the recording of this event here
- You can read the academic response to the event by Dr. Alice Kelly here
- You can take part in the ongoing post-event Discussion on the CFF Discord server here
2-3 September 2022: Watership Down 50th Anniversary Conference
Richard Adams’ children’s fantasy classic, Watership Down, turned 50 years old in 2022, and this 50th anniversary conference was held in Glasgow on 2-3 September 2022 to celebrate the book and its legacy. This was a collaboration between the Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic and the School of English, Communication and Philosophy at Cardiff University. The co-organisers were our Co-Director Dr Dimitra Fimi, and Dr Catherine Butler of Cardiff University. Keynotes: Rosamond Mahony (Richard Adams' daughter), Dr Briony Wickes (Royal Holloway, University of London), and award-winning children's author SF Said.
13-17 July 2022: Once and Future Fantasies Conference
Once and Future Fantasies was the first conference co-sponsored by the International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts to take place outside North America. The conference was hosted by the Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic at the University of Glasgow on 13-17 July 2022.
Keynotes: Nalo Hopkinson and Professor Dame Marina Warner.
- You can find out more about the conference, including recordings of the keynote lectures, photos, programme, etc. here.
International Medieval Congress 2022, Leeds, 4-7 July 2022
Sessions sponsored by the Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic at the International Medieval Congress 2022, Leeds, 4-7 July 2022
Session 141: J.R.R. Tolkien: Medieval Roots and Modern Branches (Monday 4 July 2022)
Sponsor: Centre for Fantasy & the Fantastic, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow
Organiser: Andrew Higgins, Centre for Fantasy & the Fantastic, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow
Moderator: Kristine Larsen, Geological Sciences Department, Central Connecticut State University
An Attempt to Re-Examine the Dialectic of the East and the West in Tolkien’s Selected Works
Andrzej Wicher, Zakład Angielskiego Dramatu, Teatru i Filmu, Uniwersytet Łódzki
Of Dust Motes, Trees, and Golden Flowers: Tolkien and Duns Scotus’ Haeccitas
Victoria-Holtz Wodzak, Department of English & World Languages, Viterbo University, Wisconsin
Glossopoeia through Letter Writing: The Role of Early Reader and Author Responses in the Development of the Elvish Languages
Andrew Higgins
Session 241: Tolkien and Medieval Poets: A Session in Memory of Richard C. West (Monday 4 July 2022)
Sponsor: Centre for Fantasy & the Fantastic, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow
Organiser: Andrew Higgins, Centre for Fantasy & the Fantastic, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow
Moderator: Andrew Higgins
The Revivalist Critic and the Alliterative Poet: An Unexpected Collaboration
Andoni Cossio, Facultad de Letras, Universidad del País Vasco - Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Vitoria-Gasteiz
Computing the Interlace Structure of The Lord of the Rings
James Tauber, Department of Linguistics & English Language, Lancaster University
‘Pearls’ of Pearl: Medieval Appropriations in Tolkien’s Mythology
Kristine Larsen, Geological Sciences Department, Central Connecticut State University
Session 441: Tolkien as a Gateway to Interdisciplinary Teaching: A Roundtable Discussion (Monday 4 July 2022)
Sponsor: Centre for Fantasy & the Fantastic, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow
Organiser: Andrew Higgins, Centre for Fantasy & the Fantastic, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow
Moderator: Andrew Higgins
This round table discussion will feature talks by teachers on how they have used the works of Tolkien to introduce and engage students with new fields of study and disciplines. Short papers and discussions will explore how teachers have used the works of Tolkien as a gateway for students to explore and become passionate about other areas of study. Participants include Deidre Dawson (Independent Scholar, Brighton) and Dimitra Fimi (University of Glasgow).
Session 1033: Borders Between Life and Death in Tolkien's Legendarium (Wednesday 6 July 2022)
Sponsor: Centre for Fantasy & the Fantastic, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow
Organiser: Andrew Higgins, Centre for Fantasy & the Fantastic, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow
Moderator: Sara Brown, Department of Language & Literature, Signum University
Memories of Borders: On the Borders of Memory - Beleriand as Elegiac Landscape
Cami Agan, Department of Language & Literature, Oklahoma Christian University
Beyond the Circles of the World
Amy Amendt-Raduege, Department of English, Western Washington University
Undead or Undying: Limits of Immortality in Tolkien’s Work
Gaëlle Abaléa, Independent Scholar, Orléans
Session 1133: Family, Orientation, Transgression, and Crossing Borders of Middle-earth (Wednesday 6 July 2022)
Sponsor: Centre for Fantasy & the Fantastic, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow
Organiser: Andrew Higgins, Centre for Fantasy & the Fantastic, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow
Moderator: Andrew Higgins
Tolkien’s Orphaned Heroes
Deidre Dawson, Residential College in the Arts & Humanities, Michigan State University
Chrononormativity and Queer Time: Crossing Temporal Borders in Tolkien’s Middle-Earth
Yvette Kisor, Humanities & Global Studies, Ramapo College of New Jersey
‘Finding out what lies beyond the borders of the Shire’: Applying Tolkien’s Fantastic Texts in and to Madness - The Transgressive Experience of Psychotic Thinking
Alke Haarsma-Wisselink, Independent Scholar, Zwolle
‘Lay your head in my lap’: Homoerotic Tension and Possibility on Mordor’s Border in The Lord of the Rings
Olivia-Kate Burgham, Independent Scholar, Ottawa
Session 1641: Crossing Borders in Middle-earth (Thursday 7 July 2022)
Sponsor: Centre for Fantasy & the Fantastic, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow
Organiser: Andrew Higgins, Centre for Fantasy & the Fantastic, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow
Moderator: Andrew Higgins
Light: The Key to Cross the Spatiotemporal Borders in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Secondary World
Aslı Bülbül Candaş, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow
Interrogating the Liminal Space: Vampires and Werewolves in Middle-Earth
Sara Brown, Department of Language & Literature, Signum University
Time Travel, Astronomy, and Magic Mirrors: How the Borders between Reality and the Otherworld in MiddleEarth Are Influenced by Celtic Mythology and Science (Fiction)
Aurelie Bremont, Centre d’Etudes Médiévales Anglaises (CEMA), Sorbonne Université, Paris
MLA International Symposium, 2–4 June 2022, Glasgow
Sessions organised by members of the Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic at the MLA International Symposium, 2–4 June 2022, Glasgow
Fantastic Discourses of the Other: Hospitable Alter-natives? (Friday 3 June 2022)
Chair: Taylor Driggers (U of Glasgow)
Fantasy’s Hospitable Forms
Matthew Sangster U of Glasgow
“A Knight Must Set Things Right”: Fantasy Medievalism, Language, and Chivalry in Tamora Pierce’s Fantasy World of Tortall
Grace Worm U of Glasgow
“It Helps Soothe the Wounds God Has Inflicted Them With”: Fantasy, Queerness, and the Problem of Christian Hospitality
Taylor Driggers U of Glasgow
A Seat at the Table: The Evolving Parameters of Hospitality and Representation in Fantasy Role-Playing Games
Anna Milon U of Exeter
One of Us: Embracing and Becoming the Radically Other (Friday 3 June 2022)
Chairs: Ariel Leutheusser (Graduate Center, City U of New York), Mariana Rios Maldonado (U of Glasgow)
Fandom as Translation / Fandom and Translation: Making a Home in Storyworlds across Difference
Anne Kustritz U Utrecht
Living Deliciously: Welcoming and Becoming Radically Other in The Witch, Suspiria, and Midsommar
Ariel Leutheusser Graduate Center, City U of New York
Tolkien, Middle-earth, and the Other Mariana
Rios Maldonado U of Glasgow
“For a Dark Hour or Twain”: Darkness, Masks, and Identity in Immersive Theater
Kelly Suprenant Brooklyn C, City U of New York
26 May 2022: Changing the Voices of Science Fiction: The Progressive Fantastic in Germany
A public lecture by Dr Lars Schmeink, Leverhulme Professor of German Studies, University of Leeds, on “Changing the Voices of Science Fiction: The Progressive Fantastic in Germany”. The lecture took place in Room 253 (Seminar Room 1 – Yudowitz), at Wolfson Medical School and was also broadcast via Zoom webinar.
German science fiction has traditionally been a conservative genre, its main authors to this day mostly white, cis, hetero males of middle age. Until recently, diversity of genders, non-heteronormative sexuality, race or varied ethnic and cultural backgrounds, or representations of other marginalized groups (age, (dis)ability, etc.) has been sorely missing. But there has been a concerted effort by a younger, more diverse group of writers to change the approach to fantastic literature as a whole. Under the umbrella of the “progressive fantastic”, they have called for the inclusion of other identities in speculative fiction, the strengthening of own-voices, and a keen-eyed reexamination of traditions and structures in fantastic texts. In this talk, Dr Schmeink presented the key features of this “progressive fantastic” by looking at exemplary texts of recent German SF production.
For further details about this event see here.
The event was recorded and can be accessed via our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N04p_T2n0M&t=1873s
57th International Congress on Medieval Studies, May 9–14, 2022
Session sponsored by the Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic at the 57th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Kalmazoo, May 9–14, 2022
Session 226: Tolkien and the Medieval Animal
(Thursday 12 May 2022)
Sponsor: Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic, Univ. of Glasgow
Organizer: Kristine A. Swank, Univ. of Glasgow
Presider: Kristine A. Swank
Mammoth, Mûmak, and “The old fireside rhyme of Oliphaunt”: Tolkien’s Contributions to the Medieval Bestiary Tradition
Marc U. Zender, Tulane Univ.
From Classical to Medieval: A Reflection on Bats in Tolkien’s Works
Fiammetta Comelli, Univ. degli Studi di Milano
Of Foxes and Dancing Bears
John Rosegrant, New Orleans-Birmingham Psychoanalytic Center
Tolkien’s Dragons: Sources, Symbols, and Significance
Camilo G. Peralta, Fort Hays State Univ.
28-29 April 2022: GIFCon 2022: Fantasy Across Media (online)
Our 5th GIFCon (Glasgow International Fantasy Conversations, run annually) was held online for the second time in 2022. The theme was Fantasy Across Media. Fantasy and the fantastic have had long, rich histories outside of literature. GIFCon 2022 examined the myriad narrative possibilities afforded by fantasy across media.
See here for full details, programme, and links to recorded keynotes.
1 April 2022: Fantasy and Puppetry: Animating the Fantastic
A very special online event to celebrate the art of puppets and puppeteers in bringing fantasy and the fantastic to life, on stage, on screen and on the page. It featured five of the most exciting and celebrated puppet-centred artists, writers, puppeteers and performers working in the world today: Brian and Wendy Froud, Howard Gayton, Mary Robinette Kowal and William Todd-Jones, all brought together by their friendship with World Fantasy Award-winning writer, editor and artist Terri Windling. Between them, these artists have been closely involved in some of the finest fantasy films, movies, TV series and stage performances of the last forty years: The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, the Muppet movies, Sesame Street, The Empire Strikes Back, Dark Crystal – The Age of Resistance, His Dark Materials, John Carter of Mars, The Neverending Story, Who Framed Roger Rabbit – the list is seemingly endless. During the event, we discovered how their skills as designers, craftspeople and puppeteers have interacted with their skills as storytellers to animate lifeless matter and awake the world’s imagination!
For further details on each of our special guests, as well as the day's programme, see here: https://fantasy.glasgow.ac.uk/index.php/2022/03/12/fantasy-and-puppetry-animating-the-fantastic/
All four sessions were recorded and can be accessed on our YouTube channel via the links below:
23 February 2022: Queering Faith in Fantasy Literature: A Book Launch and Discussion with Taylor Driggers
An event to launch Dr Taylor Driggers' book Queering Faith in Fantasy Literature: Fantastic Incarnations and the Deconstruction of Theology, the first book in Bloomsbury’s new Perspectives on Fantasy series.
Series editors Prof. Brian Attebery, Dr Dimitra Fimi, and Dr Matthew Sangster began the evening by introducing the new series and its aims. Dr Driggers then introduced his book, which explores works by C.S. Lewis, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Angela Carter, among others, to show how fantasy literature can help women and LGBTQ+ people marginalized by Christianity reclaim and re-envision their theological traditions. He was then be joined by Anglia Ruskin University postgraduate researcher Meg MacDonald for a conversation about fantasy’s affordances for theology, and how their respective research projects respond to existing scholarship in fantasy, theology, and religious studies.
Find out more about this event here.
The event was recorded and can be accessed via our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeH8ODAQNg4&t=1s
11 February 2022: Medical Humanities and the Fantastic Online Symposium: Neurodiversity and Disability
The second Medical Humanities and the Fantastic Symposium, funded by the University of Glasgow’s Centre for Medical Humanities’ Early Career Foundation Award, and co-hosted by the Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic, was held online on Friday 11 February 2022. The symposium aimed to showcase the potentials the fantastic has to offer as valuable gateway and perspective for discussing medical encounters, practices and lived experiences.
The theme was “Neurodiversity and Disability” included keynotes from Dr Ria Cheyne and Dr Louise Creechan.
- You can find the Symposium Call for Papers here
The keynotes were recorded and can be accessed via our YouTube channel below:
2021 Events
11 December 2021: Dissenting Beliefs: Heresy and Heterodoxy in Fantasy
An online conference, supported by the Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic, aiming to explore the wide ranging affordances of heterodoxy and heresy in fantasy texts across a wide range of faiths.
Keynote: Professor Alana M. Vincent
Organising Committee: Dr Taylor Driggers, Lucinda Holdsworth, Meg MacDonald, Luise Rössel
Conference page here.
The Call for Papers can be found here.
The keynote by Professor Alana M. Vincent was recorded and can be accessed via our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAgUEscJB4A
24 November 2021: The Infernal Riddle of Historical Fantasy
An event with James Treadwell (author of the Advent trilogy), L. J. MacWhirter (author of Black Snow Falling), Fraser Dallachy (Lecturer in historical linguistics), and Rob Maslen (Co-director of the Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic at Glasgow).
On Wednesday 24 November, 6 pm GMT we celebrated the launch of James Treadwell’s most recent novel, The Infernal Riddle of Thomas Peach (Hodder and Stoughton, 2021), with a discussion of fantasy’s obsession with history. Each of our panelists shared this obsession. Treadwell’s novel is set in the late eighteenth century, McWhirter’s in the time of the Tudors, while Dallachy and his colleagues have advised historical novelists by drawing on the vast resources of the Historical Thesaurus of English. Together they considered some of the challenges faced by fantasists who choose to set their stories in the past.
Find out more about this event here.
The event was recorded and can be accessed via our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OelC1gTrmGk
17 November 2021: Imagining Ecological Pasts and Futures: Folklore, Fantasy, and Speculative Fiction in the Climate Crisis
Humans have always written tales of magic and wonder that relate the human to the non-human world, whether that ‘magic’ is folkloristic belief or the modern quasi-scientific speculations and re-imaginings of Science Fiction and Fantasy. But why should this matter in an age of catastrophic climate change?
In this event, colleagues from the Centre of Fantasy and the Fantastic foregrounded via short presentations how both traditional folkloric stories as well as past and current Fantasy texts, whether intended for children or adults, usefully serve to imagine our place in the cultural/natural world, including interactions with non-human others. Tales of connection and disconnection—or of utopia and dystopia—are examples of serious play in which solutions to dilemmas, especially the climate crisis, can be explored. In short, narratives of the Fantastic perennially provide not only welcome solace and escape, but also serve to spark new ways of thinking: fantasy is good to think with.
The evening ended with a Creative Writing Workshop led by two experienced workshop leaders, allowing participants to experiment with their own ideas, inspired by the presentations in the first part.
This event was part of the Being Human Festival and was supported by the Dear Green Bothy series.
Find out more about the programme and contributors here.
The event was recorded and can be accessed via our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaiDgtGXfE4&t=7s
18 October 2021: Kim Stanley Robinson: The Ministry for the Future
We were delighted to host legendary SF author Kim Stanley Robinson as part of the book tour for his novel The Ministry for the Future. Kim Stanley Robinson is a New York Times bestseller and winner of the Hugo, Nebula and Locus awards. He is the author of more than twenty books, including the bestselling Mars trilogy, 2312, Aurora and New York 2140. In 2008, he was named a 'Hero of the Environment' by Time, and he works with the Sierra Nevada research institute. He lives in Davis, California.
This event, part of The Dear Green Bothy series, was chaired by Dr Anna McFarlane.
The event was recorded and can be accessed via our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Izu280EXo08
16 September 2021: Exploring Cyberpunk Culture
An event to celebrate Dr Anna McFarlane's new book Cyberpunk Culture and Psychology: Seeing Through the Mirrorshades. The book explores the work of William Gibson and the influence of cyberpunk science fiction. Anna introduced her book, including her concept of gestalt literary criticism. She was joined by academic and broadcaster Dr Sarah Dillon for a conversation about the book and the journey from PhD thesis to monograph, and by Dr Graham J. Murphy (Seneca College) and Dr Lars Schmeink (Europa Universität Flensburg), her co-editors on The Routledge Companion to Cyberpunk Culture (2020), to talk about how the book fits in to existing cyberpunk research, and the future of cyberpunk scholarship.
For further details see here:
https://fantasy.glasgow.ac.uk/index.php/2021/09/02/exploring-cyberpunk-culture/
The event was recorded and can be accessed via our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1-3k_duWmQ&t=202s
17 June 2021: From Spare Oom to War Drobe: A Journey to Narnia with Katherine Langrish
A journey to Narnia with celebrated children’s and young adult fantasy author Katherine Langrish, author of From Spare Oom to War Drobe: Travels in Narnia with my Nine-Year-Old Self. In this book, Katherine has revisited her childhood reading of C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia series to explore what enchanted her in the books as a young reader, and ask whether they still have the power to do so. Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic co-directors Dr Robert Maslen and Dr Dimitra Fimi interviewed Katherine about the book and all things Narnia, before giving attendees the opportunity to participate in a Q&A with Katherine.
For further details see: https://fantasy.glasgow.ac.uk/index.php/2021/05/22/
A report from the event can be accessed here: https://fantasy.glasgow.ac.uk/index.php/2021/06/22/from-spare-oom-to-war-drobe-a-report-from-our-journey-to-narnia-with-katherine-langrish/
The event was recorded and can be accessed via our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEwkxqftwNY
GIFCon (Glasgow International Fantasy Conversations)
"Beyond the Anglocentric Fantastic" - 28-30 April 2021
See here for full details, programme, and links to recorded keynotes.
56th International Congress on Medieval Studies, 10-15 May 2021
Session 94: Christopher Tolkien, Medievalist (1924–2020): A Roundtable
(Tuesday 11 May 2021)
Sponsor: Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic, Univ. of Glasgow
Organizer: Kristine A. Swank, University of Glasgow
Presider: Dr Dimitra Fimi, University of Glasgow
A roundtable discussion with Miriam Mayburd (University of Iceland), Eileen M. Moore (Cleveland State University), Erik D. Mueller-Harder (Independent Scholar), and Perry Neil Harrison (Fort Hays State University)
Session 344: Medieval World-Building: Tolkien, His Precursors and Legacies
(Friday 14 May 2021)
Sponsor: Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic, University of Glasgow
Organizer: Kristine A. Swank, University of Glasgow
Presider: Kristine A. Swank
"Valinor in America: Faerian Drama and the Disenchantment of Middle-earth", John D. Rateliff, Independent Scholar
"Infinity War of the Ring: Parallels between the Conflict within Sauron and Thanos", Jeremy Byrum, Independent Scholar
"Tolkien, Robin Hood, and the Matter of the Greenwood", Perry Neil Harrison, Fort Hays State University
"Tolkien’s Golden Trees and Silver Leaves: Do Writers Build the Same World for Every Reader?", Luke Shelton, University of Glasgow
25 March 2021: Tolkien Reading Day 2021
Tolkien Reading Day is held on the 25th of March each year. The date of the 25th of March was chosen as the date on which the Ring was destroyed, completing Frodo’s quest and vanquishing Sauron. It has been organised by the Tolkien Society since 2003 to encourage fans to celebrate and promote the life and works of J.R.R. Tolkien by reading favourite passages.
For 2021, the Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic partnered with the Tolkien Society to celebrate Tolkien Reading Day 2021, with a theme of "Hope and Courage". We co-hosted three live Zoom events throughout the day where fans shared what Tolkien means to them. We also shared readings, prompts, and reactions to Tolkien's work throughout the day, and during the weeks and days leading up to 25th March (check hashtag #TolkienReadingDay2021).
To find out more about the Tolkien Reading Day 2021 see here: https://fantasy.glasgow.ac.uk/index.php/2021/03/01/tolkien-reading-day-2021/
For our Guest Speakers for Tolkien Reading Day 2021 see here: https://fantasy.glasgow.ac.uk/index.php/2021/03/17/tolkien-reading-day-2021-guest-speakers/
16 March 2021: Creative Conversations: Book Launch for Oliver Langmead’s Birds of Paradise
An event to celebrate the launch of Oliver K. Langmead's novel
Birds of Paradise (Titan Books, 2001). Oliver K. Langmead lives and writes in Glasgow. His long-form poem,
Dark Star, featured in the Guardian’s Best Books of 2015, and his new book,
Birds of Paradise, is arriving March 2021. Oliver is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Glasgow, where he is researching terraforming and ecological philosophy, and in late 2018 he was the writer in residence at the European Space Agency’s Astronaut Centre in Cologne. This even wasa collaboration between
Creative Conversations, programmed by the University of Glasgow Creative Writing Programme and funded by the Ferguson Bequest, and the Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic.
24 February 2021: The Immanent Grove: Memorialising the achievements of the University of Glasgow’s Fantasy graduates
An event to celebrate the brilliance of our students and to explore the entanglements between fantasy, forests, and trees.
Trees permeate Fantasy literature and, in the twenty-first century, forests also hold the key to the future. Our PhD student Lucy Holdsworth came up with the idea of memorialising the achievements of the University of Glasgow's Fantasy graduates with the gift of trees, via the Trees for Life charity. Thanks to a generous donor, we have now started planting a tree in the Highlands for each of our Fantasy graduates, forming The Immanent Grove (inspired by Ursula Le Guin's eponymous grove on the island of Roke in Earthsea). The event featured Lucy Holdworh, Dr Rob Maslen, and Dr Matthew Sangster, who shared readings on trees and forests from favourite fantasy texts and discussed their affordances in terms of ecological consciouenss, literacy, and activism.
To find out more about the Immanent Grove see here: https://fantasy.glasgow.ac.uk/index.php/2021/02/12/the-immanent-grove-memorialising-the-achievements-of-the-university-of-glasgows-fantasy-graduates/
To see the Immanent Grove trees and graduate messages see here: https://treesforlife.org.uk/groves/260391/
The event was recorded and can be accessed via our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wntbRo2r4XA
A quest to uncover the literary history behind Dungeons & Dragons co-hosted by the Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic and the Games and Gaming Lab at the University of Glasgow. How has fantasy literature influenced and inspired the tabletop roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons? How has the relationship between the two fantasy media developed over time? Tolkien scholar and RPG designer/editor John D. Rateliff discussed the early roots of Dungeons & Dragons in the works of twentieth-century fantasy authors, including J.R.R. Tolkien and Robert E. Howard. His talk was followed by a Q&A chaired by Emma French. The event also included a short introduction to contemporary Dungeons & Dragons by Grace A. Worm – with a brief, but fun, dip into how to play!
For further details see: https://fantasy.glasgow.ac.uk/index.php/2021/01/06/dd-and-fantasy-fiction-giants-in-the-oerth/
John D. Rateliff's talk can be read here: https://fantasy.glasgow.ac.uk/index.php/2021/02/08/john-d-rateliff-dd-and-fantasy-fiction-giants-in-the-oerth/
A report from the event can be accessed here: https://fantasy.glasgow.ac.uk/index.php/2021/02/10/a-celebration-of-collaborative-fantasy-storytelling-a-report-and-reading-list-from-the-centres-fantasy-and-dd-event/
The event was recorded and can be accessed via our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5Kynx0NZQA
2020 Events
16 December: Christmas Hauntings: Ghost Stories for Midwinter
An evening of Christmas chills and winter wonder, featuring an introduction to the tradition of the Christmas ghost story by Dr Derek Johnston of Queens University Belfast, and a panel with Dr Tiffany Angus (Anglia Ruskin University), Professor Christine Ferguson (University of Stirling) and Dr Derek Johnson (QUB). The event included a reading of Jeanette Winterson’s chilling tale ‘Dark Christmas’, performed by Meg MacDonald, with the author’s kind permission.
For further details see: https://fantasy.glasgow.ac.uk/index.php/2020/11/30/christmas-hauntings-ghost-stories-for-midwinter/
The event was recorded and can be accessed via our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5M7Bc9dSczk
19 November: Celebrating the Centenary of 'A Voyage to Arcturus'
A celebration of 100 years since the publication of A Voyage to Arcturus, a speculative fiction novel by Scottish author David Lindsay. The event (part of the Being Human Festival) presented a conversation with Lindsay specialist Douglas A. Anderson, UofG scholar Professor Robert Davis, and science fiction author Nina Allan, discussing the novel and its major influence on key fantasy authors of our time, including C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and Philip Pullman.
For further details see:
https://fantasy.glasgow.ac.uk/index.php/2020/10/15/celebrating-the-centenary-of-a-voyage-to-arcturus/
A report from the event can be accessed here: https://fantasy.glasgow.ac.uk/index.php/2020/12/02/celebrating-the-centenary-of-a-voyage-to-arcturus-report-and-video-recording/
The event was recorded and can be accessed via our YouTube channel here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6HpKWSLuBM&t=144s
28 October: Halloween: Folklore Traditions and Global Reach
A thoroughly spooky lecture on the folklore and traditions of Halloween and associated festivals, such as Día de los Muertos, with world-renowned folklorist, author, and broadcaster Dr Juliette Wood (Cardiff University), followed by Q&A.
See here for further details: https://fantasy.glasgow.ac.uk/index.php/2020/10/01/join-us-for-a-talk-on-halloween-folklore-and-traditions/
The event was recorded and can be accessed via our YouTube channel here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYwBN0wCWBc&t=4s
16 September 2020: Launching the Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic
An online event to launch the Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic at the University of Glasgow with a lecture by acclaimed fantasy author Ellen Kushner, and a discussion panel on fantasy with Terri Windling, Professor Brian Attebery, and Dr Robert Maslen.
See here for further details:
https://fantasy.glasgow.ac.uk/index.php/2020/08/24/launching-the-centre-for-fantasy-and-the-fantastic-university-of-glasgow/
A report from the event can be accessed here: https://fantasy.glasgow.ac.uk/index.php/2020/09/29/centre-for-fantasy-and-the-fantastic-launch-report-and-reactions/
The event was recorded and can be accessed via our YouTube channel here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LtdlR0imSQ&t=117s
Associated Events
Earlier Events
- Fantasy Public Lecture series by Leverhulme Visiting Professor in Fantasy, Brian Attebery (Idaho State University):
- GIFCon 2019, Keynote Speakers: Brian Attebery (Idaho State University/Leverhulme Visiting Professor in Fantasy, University of Glasogow), Kirsty Logan, Mel Gibson (Northumbria University)
- ‘Reimagining Fantasy’: a Public Conversation in Glasgow University Chapel with Ellen Kushner, Delia Sherman and Terri Windling, May 2018.
- ‘Scotland in the Transition: renewable Energy in Scotland’, in the Charles Wilson Theatre, with Patrick Harvie MSP, August 2018.
- ‘Petrocultures 2018: Transition’, a 4-day international conference (over 230 delegates from 15 countries) for the Energy Humanities, at Glasgow University. https://petrocultures2018.wixsite.com/transition
- GIFCon 2018, Keynote Speakers: Dimitra Fimi (Cardiff Met University), Alice Jenkins (University of Glasgow), Will Slocombe (University of Liverpool), Arianne ‘Tex’ Thompson, April 2018.
- ‘Night at the Museum: Fantasy Scotland’, Hunterian Museum, Glasgow, November 2017.
- GIFCon 2017, Keynote Speakers: Julie Bertagna, Stefan Ekman, Phil Harris (Senior Narrative Designer at Videogame company Bigpoint), March 2017.
- Public Workshop with Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman, November 2016.
- Mini-Conference: ‘Other Worlds and Story Worlds: New Perspectives on Fiction for Adults and Children’ (co-organised with Evelyn Arizpe and Maureen Farrell, School of Education), Keynote: Julie Bertagna, June 2016.
- Adam Roberts, ‘Science Fiction’s Greatest Question: Are We Alone in the Universe?’, Aye Write! Book Festival, Mitchell Library, Glasgow, March 2016.
- ‘From Page to Opera Stage: The Devil Inside. Reimagining Robert Louis Stevenson’s “The Bottle Imp” as a contemporary opera’, January 2016, with Stuart MacRae, Alex Rijdeek and Louise Welsh.
- Visiting Speakers have included the authors Hal Duncan, Kij Johnson, Kirsty Logan, Mark Millar, Claire North/Cat Webb, Christopher Priest, Arianne ‘Tex’ Thompson and Neil Williamson; the editors Jon Oliver (Commissioning Editor, Rebellion Publishing) and Ben Smith (Head of Books, Rebellion Publishing); and the scholars Andrew M. Butler (Canterbury Christ Church University), Edward James (Anglia Ruskin University) and Anna Vaninskaya (University of Edinburgh)
