Classical Stories and Fantasy: The Birder and Other Tales

What do the classical stories of myths and legends mean to us today? In this episode of Mythmakers, Dr. Lorna Robinson—founder of the Iris Project and director of the Rumble Museum at Cheney School in Oxford—joins Julia Golding to discuss her quest to bring these timeless tales to young people.

The conversation explores Lorna’s reinterpretation of Ovid's Metamorphoses in The Birder, a magical realism novel built around the idea that, as in the myths, people don’t die—they transform into other creatures or things.

The Birder is available now at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Birder-Dr-Lorna-Robinson/dp/B0DNC7V79X, alternatively you can ask your local bookshop to order a copy for you.

(00:05) Introducing Mythmakers and Dr Lorna Robinson
(05:40) Widening Access to Myths Through Education
(09:30) Young Readers, Modern Media, and Classical Stories
(13:40) Cultural Literacy and Why Myths Still Matter
(16:10) Writing The Birder and Imagining Metamorphosis
(20:10) Ovid, Magical Realism, and Belief in Ancient Stories
(23:20) Environmental Themes and Future Writing Projects
(25:00) Reading Ovid Today and Modern Retellings

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