In this special Sidecast episode, Julia Golding revisits some of the most engaging moments from an author’s journey through The Fellowship of the Ring. From the confusion and peril of Weathertop to the hidden histories unearthed in Rivendell and the forging of great swords and alliances, we take a look back at some of the highlights of Tolkien’s storytelling craft through the eyes of an experienced writer.

Listen in as we celebrate the wonder, complexity, and humanity woven into every chapter—and take a brief respite before embarking on the next leg of the journey in The Two Towers.

(00:05) Reflections on Lord of the Rings
(13:56) Unveiling History and Establishing Alliances
(20:14) The Fellowship's Journey Begins

For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit:

Website: https://centre4fantasy.com/website

Instagram: https://centre4fantasy.com/Instagram

Facebook: https://centre4fantasy.com/Facebook

TikTok: https://centre4fantasy.com/tiktok

Once again, we have come to the end of another enthralling season of Mythmakers, we’ve embarked on many adventures spanning a variety of fantasy realms and topics, featuring some truly fascinating guests.

On today’s wrap up episode, Julia Golding takes us on a journey through some of the most popular and thought-provoking moments of our seventh season. From cinematic battles in Rohan to the strange power of medieval book curses, and from Lewis’s medieval cosmos to the evolution of Tolkien’s poetry and prose—this is a celebration of storytelling in all its forms. Joined by guests including Dr Eleanor Baker, Professor Nick Groom, and Jacob Rennaker, Julia explores how the fantastic continues to shape our imaginations, our worldviews, and our literary landscape.

(00:05) Fantasy Podcast Season Wrap-Up
(12:29) Medieval Mindset and Tolkien's Poetry
(24:47) Evolution of Tolkien's Poetry

For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit:

Website: https://centre4fantasy.com/website

Instagram: https://centre4fantasy.com/Instagram

Facebook: https://centre4fantasy.com/Facebook

TikTok: https://centre4fantasy.com/tiktok

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.

(00:05) The Breaking of the Fellowship
(18:08) The Choice of Frodo
(31:05) The Fellowship's Transition Forward

For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit:

Website: https://centre4fantasy.com/website

Instagram: https://centre4fantasy.com/Instagram

Facebook: https://centre4fantasy.com/Facebook

TikTok: https://centre4fantasy.com/tiktok

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) The Great River
(16:30) The Path Along the River
(32:22) Fantasy Podcast Promotion

For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit:

Website: https://centre4fantasy.com/website

Instagram: https://centre4fantasy.com/Instagram

Facebook: https://centre4fantasy.com/Facebook

TikTok: https://centre4fantasy.com/tiktok

In today’s episode of Mythmakers, Julia Golding sits down with bestselling author Emily J. Taylor to discuss her second novel, The Otherwhere Post (Penguin US / Pushkin Press UK). Set in a world where magic is powered by handwriting, the story follows Maeve, a determined heroine fighting to prove her father’s innocence for a crime that has affected all three realms.

Emily shares her journey to becoming a writer, including a brief stop to reflect on the Twilight stories and what made them such a phenomenon. The conversation also explores her creative process and the possibilities of a story centred on an isolated community. For those interested, the poem Julia references is The Night Train by W. H. Auden.

You can follow Emily, and her work, on her website https://emilyjtaylorauthor.com/

(00:05) Fantasy Author Interview
(13:59) World Building and Setting Periods
(24:24) Microcosms in World Building

For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit:

Website: https://centre4fantasy.com/website

Instagram: https://centre4fantasy.com/Instagram

Facebook: https://centre4fantasy.com/Facebook

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.

(00:05) The Author's Journey in Lorien
(11:11) Gifts of Love and Creativity
(24:33) Galadriel's Gifts of Wisdom and Light

For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit:

Website: https://centre4fantasy.com/website

Instagram: https://centre4fantasy.com/Instagram

Facebook: https://centre4fantasy.com/Facebook

TikTok: https://centre4fantasy.com/tiktok

In 1997, Tolkien’s publishers collected several of his shorter works and published a collection titled ‘Tales from the Perilous Realm’—a BBC radio adaptation soon followed.

In this episode of Mythmakers, Julia Golding and Jacob Rennaker unpack the collection, examining each story in turn. Are they all truly set in perilous realms? How do these realms connect to Middle-earth? And which tale is the best entry point for readers who may be hesitant to venture beyond The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings? The episode concludes with a lively discussion on a fitting question: which is the most perilous realm in all of fantasy?

(00:05) Tolkien's Tales From Perilous Realm
(11:12) Comparing Farmer Giles and Leaf
(19:11) Exploring Tolkien's Leaf by Niggle
(29:05) Exploring Tolkien's "Smith of Wootton Major"
(42:19) Tolkien's Adventures
(50:42) Exploring Perilous Realms and Fantasy Worlds

For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit:

Website: https://centre4fantasy.com/website

Instagram: https://centre4fantasy.com/Instagram

Facebook: https://centre4fantasy.com/Facebook

TikTok: https://centre4fantasy.com/tiktok

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.

(00:05) Exploring Lothlorien's Twilight Beauty
(20:21) Reflecting on Fellowship Dynamics in Lothlorien
(27:39) The Temptation of Galadriel

For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit:

Website: https://centre4fantasy.com/website

Instagram: https://centre4fantasy.com/Instagram

Facebook: https://centre4fantasy.com/Facebook

TikTok: https://centre4fantasy.com/tiktok