Explore the British Library Collections

Fantasy and fairy tale

(online resource)

Find out how 20th-century writers used fantasy and traditional tales to make sense of and to question the real world around them. Explore the multiverse of Philip Pullman, find out more about Tolkien as map-maker and immerse yourself in the world of Angela Carter’s modern-day fairy tales in a series of articles.

Manuscript notes of The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter

(online resource)

‘Each century tends to create or re-create fairy tales after its own taste’ (Angela Carter, 1977)

In The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories (1979), Angela Carter upturned the western European tradition of fairy tales and folk narratives, crafting a collection of new, subversive short stories. Published in a decade of growing feminist activism, the tales bristle with gender politics; addressing female sexuality, identity and agency. Peer inside Carter’s mind and creative process in these manuscript notes and draft versions of the title story, ‘The Bloody Chamber’.

Journeys in children’s books

(online resource)

One of the most wonderful things about books is their ability to transport us to different worlds, times and places. But why are journeys so important to stories?

Discover why journeys are an important feature of children’s books, from The BFG to Treasure Island.

Fantastical lands

(online resource)

The epic Ramayana has been performed throughout India and South East Asia for at least 2,000 years. Journey to fantastical lands and explore stories of monkeys, bears and magic battles in one of the most beautiful manuscripts in the world. Ramayana is still a living performance tradition today.

Heroes and Heroines

(online resource)

Today we’re familiar with superheroes from the world of film – but heroes and heroines have a deep and long history. Travel back in time to medieval England to find out more and meet Beowulf, one of the earliest heroes in English literature, and zoom in closer to the original manuscript.

Beowulf

(recording, 1 minute)

'Listen! We have heard of the might of the Kings of the Spear-Danes in days gone by, how those princes performed deeds of valour.'

Hear a recording of the opening lines of the epic poem Beowulf in the original Old English (with subtitles in Modern English).

Toys, games and gaming industry guide

(online resource)

Got a great idea for a board game? Want to start a business in the gaming industry? This detailed guide includes everything you need to know about the toys, games and gaming industry to get your business off the ground.

Off the Map Gothic

(playlist, various)

Immerse yourself in this Gothic playlist, with sound recordings from the British Library’s sound collections. Lose yourself in forest soundscapes, shudder at the sound of crashing thunder and listen out for those creaky gates and screaming animals.

Alice in Wonderland

(video, 59 minutes)

“What is the use of a book,” thought Alice, “without pictures or conversations?” (Lewis Carroll, 1865)

See live illustration from the multi-award winning writer and illustrator Chris Riddell, along with conversation and performances of iconic scenes from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by an amazing selection of actors.

Literature Matters: Neil Gaiman and Marlon James in Conversation

(video, 1 hour, 34 minutes)

Neil Gaiman and Marlon James, two of the world’s most popular fantasy writers, share a lifelong love of the mythic and the transcendent power of the imagination.

In a unique conversation about why literature matters to them, the literary A-Listers explore the importance of escapism and the value of spending time in invented worlds.