Fantasy: Realms of Imagination (27 October 2023 - 25 February 2024)
12 May
2023/5/12 10:37:41 (GMT) Greenwich Mean Time, London, Dublin, Lisbon, Casablanca, Monrovia
2023/5/12 10:37:41 (GMT) Greenwich Mean Time, London, Dublin, Lisbon, Casablanca, Monrovia
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (c) British Library
The British Library's 2023 exhibitions weave together literature, science, art, film and sound across cultures and time to deliver a range of experiences that will inspire and surprise audiences of all ages.
Fantasy: Realms of Imagination (27 October 2023 - 25 February 2024)
From ancient texts to anime, Sir Gawain to The Sandman, fairy tales and films to graphic novels, video games and fan culture, this exhibition dives deep into some of fantasy literature’s defining moments. Spanning centuries and continents, the exhibition illustrates the varied ways in which readers are enchanted by fantasy, which can serve as both an escape from and a reflection upon the world we live in.
The exhibition invites visitors to immerse themselves in the otherworldly; to revisit beloved stories and encounter new ones; and to explore our enduring fascination with fantasy literature and its ability to invent and reimagine worlds across time, space, and cultures.
This exhibition is made possible with support from Wayland Games and with thanks to The American Trust for the British Library and The B.H. Breslauer Fund of the American Trust for the British Library.
https://www.bl.uk/press-releases/2022/october/year-ahead
The exhibition is featured in the latest edition of Amon Hen from the Tolkien Society #302
Tolkien has significant influence in the realm of fantasy, and Sir Gawain and other Tolkien works are to be featured in the exhibition. Could you provide some insight into how the exhibition explores Tolkien’s works?
We’re delighted to have some exciting loans to show alongside relevant British Library collections to illustrate the work of Tolkien. We are displaying for the first time a manuscript from the BBC Archives, in which Tolkien advises on the script for a 1955-56 radio adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. Sadly, no recording of the actual production survives so this is a fascinating insight into this, otherwise lost, early adaptation. We also have exciting loans of original artwork, and of an iconic prop from the Peter Jackson films.
We also have an item which may be a little unexpected for Tolkien purists – a 1962 edition of The Hobbit illustrated by Tove Jansson, best known for her Moomin characters. Jansson’s version of Gollum was particularly controversial as he was depicted as a giant troll-like figure. This apparently caused Tolkien to add the word ‘small’ to descriptions of the character in later editions. Tolkien also famously translated Sir Gawain and the Green Knight from Middle English and visitors to the exhibition will be able to see the surviving original of the text, in a beautiful manuscript produced circa 1400.
The British Library are running a six week course during the exhibition.
https://www.bl.uk/events/fantasy-fiction-through-the-ages
Fantasy Fiction Through the Ages
Embark on a journey through the history of fantasy writing, from encounters with Anglo-Saxon dragon-slayers to meeting 21st-century adepts of urban magic.
On this six week course, you will be guided through pivotal fantasy texts as well as ever-changing attitudes to the genre. From the storied worlds of Tolkien’s Middle-earth and Pratchett’s Discworld, to lesser-known settings like J. Tullos Henning’s Greenwode, you will explore how fantasy emerged and where it might be going. You’ll learn more about the unique artefacts displayed in our ground-breaking exhibition, Fantasy: Realms of Imagination, in this peek into the academic field of fantasy studies.
Whether you’re looking to inform your own fantasy writing, or simply indulge in your favourite genre with like-minded fans, this is the perfect course to get lost in the fantastic.
Read the full course outline (https://www.bl.uk/events/britishlibrar ... 43d9bffbbd6f92cc3747.ashx).
This course will run across six dates:
- Thursday 2 November, 18.00 – 20.00
- Thursday 9 November, 18.00 – 20.00
- Thursday 16 November, 18.00 – 20.00
- Thursday 23 November, 18.00 – 20.00
- Thursday 30 November, 18.00 – 20.00
- Thursday 7 December, 18.00 – 20.00
Previous experience
None required. You may wish to bring a laptop or notebook. Laptops are available to borrow, please email [email protected] to book one.
Tutor
Dr Anna Milon is a researcher in speculative fiction and pagan studies, who recently completed her doctoral thesis on environmental narratives in fantasy fiction and Live Action Role-Play at the University of Exeter.
https://www.bl.uk/events/fantasy-fiction-through-the-ages
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