Description
Co-produced with the British Library, we invite you into the evolving world of fairy tales, inspired by the Library’s landmark exhibition exploring the history and power of these enduring stories.
Fairy tales were never only bedtime stories. They have always carried danger, desire, rebellion and transformation. Now, a new generation of writers is reclaiming them.
Join folklorist and cultural historian Ceri Houlbrook, alongside novelists Georgia Leighton and Sam Davey, as they explore why fairy tales continue to shape our imaginations, and how contemporary retellings are reframing familiar narratives through modern lenses, with marginalised voices and complex heroines. Chairing the discussion is Alison Bailey, Co-Curator of the British Library’s Fairy Tales exhibition.
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Sam Davey
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About the Author
Georgia Leighton
Georgia Leighton lives in London with her family. Leighton’s Sunday Times bestselling debut novel, Spellbound,, is a reimagining of the classic fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty. Leighton’s brand new novel, Maiden, is a captivating, feminist retelling of the legend of St George and the Dragon.
About the Historian
Dr Ceri Houlbrook
Dr Ceri Houlbrook is a leading expert on contemporary British folklore and Programme Leader of England’s only Masters in Folklore Studies. Inspired by childhood stories of boggarts and fairies in Manchester’s Boggart Hole Clough, Houlbrook’s work explores folklore as a living tradition. Houlbrook co-authored Folklore: A Journey Through the Past and Present and draws on her research in her magical realist debut novel, Winter’s Wishfall.
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