A panel discussion, with introduction by Sir Nigel Newton (founder of Bloomsbury Publishing Ltd) A lengthy discussion by commissioning editors on what they are looking for in new fantasy fiction and the current market. Part of the Bloomsbury-Oxford Summer School (23rd-25th September 2025) held at Exeter College. This summer school was supported by Bloomsbury Publishing Ltd and organised by Professors Carolyne Larrington and Stuart Lee of the Faculty of English, Oxford. Introduced by Nigel Newton CBE, Founder and Chief Executive of Bloomsbury Publishing, the afternoon started with a conversation between Zoe Gilbert (chair; Bloomsbury author and academic), Vicky Leech Mateos (Publishing Director, specialising in fantasy fiction), Lucy Strong (Bloomsbury Academic Editor for Literary Studies and Creative Writing), and Rebecca McNally (Bloomsbury Publishing Director & Editor in Chief, specialising in children's literature).

A panel discussion, with introduction by Sir Nigel Newton (founder of Bloomsbury Publishing Ltd) A lengthy discussion by commissioning editors on what they are looking for in new fantasy fiction and the current market. Part of the Bloomsbury-Oxford Summer School (23rd-25th September 2025) held at Exeter College. This summer school was supported by Bloomsbury Publishing Ltd and organised by Professors Carolyne Larrington and Stuart Lee of the Faculty of English, Oxford. Introduced by Nigel Newton CBE, Founder and Chief Executive of Bloomsbury Publishing, the afternoon started with a conversation between Zoe Gilbert (chair; Bloomsbury author and academic), Vicky Leech Mateos (Publishing Director, specialising in fantasy fiction), Lucy Strong (Bloomsbury Academic Editor for Literary Studies and Creative Writing), and Rebecca McNally (Bloomsbury Publishing Director &amp; Editor in Chief, specialising in children's literature).

Publishing Fantasy Panel - Bloomsbury Publishing Team

Fantasy Literature has emerged as one of the most important genres over the past few decades and now enjoys extraordinary levels of popularity. The impact of Tolkien’s Middle-earth works and the serialisation of George Martin’s ‘Game of Thrones’ books has moved these and their contemporaries into mainstream culture. As the popularity grows so does interest in the roots of fantasy, the main writers and themes, and how to approach these texts.

                Oxford is a natural home to fantasy literature with those who worked or studied here having written so many famous and influential texts (e.g. Lewis Carroll (C. L. Dodgson), C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Susan Cooper, Diana Wynne Jones, Alan Garner, and Philip Pullman to name but a few) – leading to the notion of an ‘Oxford School of Fantasy’. These lectures, short talks, and interviews seek to take listeners into these works and these writers and beyond. 

All material released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/ .

[Artwork by Minjie Su.]

Education

Fantasy Literature has emerged as one of the most important genres over the past few decades and now enjoys extraordinary levels of popularity. The impact of Tolkien’s Middle-earth works and the serialisation of George Martin’s ‘Game of Thrones’ books has moved these and their contemporaries into mainstream culture. As the popularity grows so does interest in the roots of fantasy, the main writers and themes, and how to approach these texts. Oxford is a natural home to fantasy literature with those who worked or studied here having written so many famous and influential texts (e.g. Lewis Carroll (C. L. Dodgson), C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Susan Cooper, Diana Wynne Jones, Alan Garner, and Philip Pullman to name but a few) – leading to the notion of an ‘Oxford School of Fantasy’. These lectures, short talks, and interviews seek to take listeners into these works and these writers and beyond. All material released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/ . [Artwork by Minjie Su.]

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Publishing Fantasy Panel - Bloomsbury Publishing Team

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