The History Of Fairy Tales & Women

Dr Joanna Gilar is coming to the Brighthelm Centre on Wednesday 9 September for a talk on the history of women in fairy tales. It's presented by Seed Talks, and the whole thing is built around the neglected history of women in those stories, with a look at how they've been written out or pushed to the edges. The talk is followed by a Q&A, so there's a chance to ask questions and keep the conversation going after she's finished.

It's not just a trip down memory lane, either. Gilar frames the stories as a critique of social inequalities, so the talk looks at how these tales reflect the power dynamics and gender roles of the times they came from. If you've spent your life hearing the versions where the women are just passive prizes or cautionary tales, this is a chance to see what's been left out.

Gilar is a writer and storyteller with a PhD in fairy tales and ecological storytelling from the University of Chichester, and she's spent a good deal of her career working in this world. She's the founder and director of StoryCommonsCIC, the home of the Rewilding Cinderella project, and she co-edited The World Treasury of Fairy Tales and Folklore, published by Wellfleet Press in 2016. She's performed across the UK and Europe, so she's used to holding a room with these kinds of stories.

It's on Wednesday 9 September at the Brighthelm Centre on North Road, BN1 1YD. The talk is presented by Seed Talks, and the Q&A follows on, so you'll have plenty of time to dig into the details if you're curious. Tickets are available through Eventbrite and DICE.