Library

Libraries are the wardrobes of literature, whence men, properly informed may bring forth something for ornament, much for curiosity, and more for use’ - William Dyer

Welcome to the Great Writers Inspire Resources Library. Here, you can search for and access thousands of literary open education resources such as audio and video podcasts, essays, ebooks, images and more. Explore the virtual shelves by searching by keyword in the title, author, and by media type.

If you don’t know where to begin, you can access our writer collections and themed collections for inspiration.

Format Resource Title Contributor Source Date Published
Audio A Conversation with Katherine Langrish Caroline Batten, Katherine Langrish
Video Is Jin Yong 'China's Tolkien'? Jonathan Hui
Video The Last of the Titans Jane Bliss
Audio C. S. Lewis and 'The Wind in the Willows' Simon Horobin
Video Arthur Rackham at Trinity College Emma Sillett, Caroline Batten
Audio Brian McClellan Katherine Olley
Audio Faith in fantasy literature Katherine Olley
Video Edward Lear and Fantasy Jasmine Jagger
Video The Saga of Eric the Unlucky Jane Bliss
Audio Elizabeth Knox Alicia Smith
Audio William Morris and E. R. Eddison Collections at the Bodleian Rachael Marsay, Stuart Lee
Audio A Walk around C. S. Lewis's Oxford Simon Horobin
Audio Desiring Dragons: Creative and Critical Responses to the Dragon in 'Beowulf' Laura Varnam
Video Werewolves in Medieval Literature vs Modern TV Minjie Su
Audio A Conversation With R. F. Kuang Carolyne Larrington, Caroline Batten, R. F. Kuang
Audio An Interview with Elizabeth Knox, author of 'The Absolute Book' Carolyne Larrington, Elizabeth Knox
Audio Oriental Tales and Their Influence Ros Ballaster, Marina Warner
Video Mythopoeia: myth-creation and Middle-earth Marina Warner, Verlyn Flieger, Dimitra Fimi
Video Tolkien's turning point: Tolkien and the history of tongues Tom Shippey
Video Middle English: 'The Tree of Tongues' Tolkien's Medieval languages Carolyne Larrington
Video Medieval Welsh: 'The Tree of Tongues' Tolkien's Medieval Languages Mark Williams
Video Gothic: 'The Tree of Tongues' Tolkien's Medieval Languages Elizabeth Solopova
Video Old English: 'The Tree of Tongues' Tolkien's Medieval Languages: Mark Atherton
Video Old Norse: 'The Tree of Tongues' Tolkien's Medieval Languages Eleanor Parker
Audio Tolkien's Favourite Tree - The Black Pine Timothy Walker
Video The Oxford Dodo: Culture at the Crossroads Jasper fforde
Audio George MacDonald Caroline Batten, Claire Mulley
Audio Maria Dahvana Headley on 'The Mere Wife' and 'Beowulf' Carolyne Larrington, Maria Dahvana Headley, David Clark
Video Morte D'Arthur Murals in the Oxford Union Tom Corrick, Caroline Batten
Audio Old Norse in the New World: The Mythology and Politics of Immigration and Neil Gaiman's 'American Gods' Heather O'Donoghue
Audio Susan Cooper Tom Morcom
Video Broceliande in Ruritania Jane Bliss
Audio Discworld and the Modern University Andrew Shamel
Audio Tolkien Archive and Exhibition at Bodleian (Pt 2) Stuart Lee, Catherine McIlwaine
Audio Daoxuan and Chinese Fantasy Literature Nelson Landry
Audio Tolkien Archive and Exhibition at Bodleian (Pt 1) Stuart Lee, Catherine McIlwaine
Tolkien Archive and Exhibition at Bodleian (Part 1) Catherine McIlwaine, Stuart Lee
Teaching Pack (Slides and Guide) - The Silmarillion Caroline Batten
Other Teaching Pack (Slides and Guide) - Alice in Wonderland Caroline Batten
Introductory Essay Stuart Lee
Teaching Pack: The Silmarillion Caroline Batten
Teaching Pack: The Hobbit Caroline Batten
Teaching Pack (Guide): The Hobbit
Handout/Transcript Teaching Pack (Guide): The Hobbit
Teaching Pack (Booklet): The Hobbit Caroline Batten
Essays Ayi Kwei Armah Daniele Nunziata
Video What is the 'Silmarillion'? Grace Khuri https://media.podcasts.ox.ac.uk/engfac/fantasy_lit/2021-04-23-engfac-fantasy-si…
Video Verse and Prose in Fantasy Literature Katherine Olley https://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/verse-and-prose-fantasy-literature
Video Guy Gavriel Kay: A Short Introduction Katherine Olley
Other Shakespeare & the plague Emma Smith https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=082EH-78iEU