Elizabeth Hopkinson's Hidden Grove

I've just spent a magical day at Bradford Industrial Museum, at an art workshop tied in with their current exhibition, Shadow Machines and Singing Paintings by Bradford-born artist, Steve Gumbley.  The day-long workshop had us using found and created objects to make artistic tableaux on a chosen theme.   The objects were arranged on circular stages, in a way that would cast interesting shadows and tell some kind of story.  Our group chose to combine birdcage ornaments with the cut-out Stuart silhouettes I had made for my birthday masquerade, to create a magical townscape.  Not too different from Angelio, in fact!  (The setting for the historical fantasy trilogy I am currently writing).   When the tableaux were complete, they were each transferred in turn to a revolving turntable, with a light shining on them.  The effect was truly magical!  Like a Lotte Reiniger movie.  There was also an additional activity, in which we each made an object to...

I was going through my "inspiration" folder the other day when I came across this little piece I wrote a few years back.  Since many of us are in need of a good laugh to beat the January blues, I thought I would post it now.  This is especially for my writer friends... How not to write fantasy 1.  On no account use your own experiences directly.  However interesting you personally find your scientific records of 121 days hatching a dragon's egg, or the secret memoirs of your affair with a dashing student wizard in 1974, the public are likely to be less forgiving.  Always mix truth with a little fiction.  If in doubt, try inserting the words vinyl flooring, tailbacks expected and celebrity master chef at regular intervals. 2.  Never embark without knowing where you are going.  You may think it fun to leave your hero balancing in the boughs of an iron willow in the Hall of Fifteen Lamps for three months, but he will most likely look on the situation...

I always like to do a review of the year, so at the end of 2013, I thought I would have a look through my blogs from the last 12 months.  Here are some of the things I have explored during my writerly journey this year: Hairy worms 18th century music therapy The natural partnership between writing and handicrafts Locations in Britain and Japan that inspired Silver Hands Comparing handless maidens with Juliet Marillier Similarities between Shirley and Anne Lister Al fresco flute playing Androgynous hares Head-banging in Gulliver's Travels The magic of Swanwick Writers' Summer School Fantastic short stories Hidden dragons Classical gods in Paris Platonic love A man without desire Light-filled fairy tales Narnian Christmas presents Quite a year!  I hope you will join me next year for whatever 2014 will bring. 

For Christmas this year, I have returned to an old seasonal favourite: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.   I am a huge fan of Narnia and of CS Lewis, and on this 50th anniversary of his death, it seems appropriate to write something about Narnia, as well as about Christmas. You know what's coming, don't you?  Yes, I'd like to take a few moments to think about the gifts Father Christmas gives the children in Narnia, and some of the symbolism attached to them. Peter's sword and shield  Who wouldn't want to get these for Christmas?  These presents are a sign to Peter that he will become a knight.  There's an obvious connection with St Paul's letter to the Ephesians: "Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes". (1) Peter will ultimately be called upon to fight evil in the form of the White Witch and her army.  The rampant red lion on the shield shows not only his alliegance to Aslan, but Aslan...

As winter draws in, I become more and more inclined to read fairy tales.  Winter is a time for telling tales round the fire, snuggling up on the sofa with a favourite book, and revisiting all those old films, ballets and pantomimes.  I've always been a huge fan of fairy tales.  I'm not alone.  Stories that have stood the test of time and can mean so many different things at different times of one's life will always have avid listeners and readers. But sometimes I wonder if I'm reading the same tales as everyone else.  There seem to be a lot of people out there (people I like and admire) who are always talking and writing about the darkness in fairy tales.  People like to say that the earlier versions of familiar tales are "much darker".  Short story writers are praised for "a wonderfully dark tale".  Now, there's nothing wrong with that.  I can admire a dark tale as well as the next reader.  But it upsets me when all people seem to see i...

watching the film in the mediatheque Last week, I went to try out the new mediatheque at the National Media Museum .  The film I watched made a huge impact on me.  It was a silent film from 1923 starring Ivor Novello, called The Man Without Desire . It reminded me of Oscar Wilde's fairy tales, so it was interesting that the director, Adrian Brunel, based the story on an idea from an Irish playwright, Monckton Hoffe.  It also seems to draw inspiration from a poem of Robert Browning's,  "A Toccata of Galuppi's", a stanza of which is quoted in the film: As for Venice and her people, merely born to bloom and drop, Here on earth they bore the fruitage, mirth and folly were the crop: What of soul was left, I wonder, when the kissing had to stop?  (1) Like a true fairy tale, The Man Without Desire  can be read many ways, but as it contains themes especially dear to me, those are the ones I will concentrate on in my review. The plot An Engl...

Like most people, I'd heard of Platonic love, but I didn't really know what it was.  I had some vague idea it was about being "just friends".  I also knew that Oscar Wilde defended himself against charges of homosexuality by invoking some ancient ideal of a noble friendship between an older and younger man, but I didn't really know what that was about either, or that the two were related. Things only changed the other week when I was reading a book about Leonardo and Michelangelo - The Lost Battles by Jonathan Jones.  It says that Michelangelo defended himself against gossip over his male/male friendships by invoking Plato's Symposium. It also quotes a poem by Michelangelo, which says: Well, alas!  How will it be heard? the chaste desire that burns the interior of my heart by those who in others always see themselves? This certainly struck a chord with me, and is very relevant for Carlo and Tammo's coming relationship in the next episode of my Angelio tr...