Workshop: The Heart of the Forest - Using Fairytales and Folklore In Your Writing with Elizabeth Dearnley

Once upon a time, there was a big bad wolf. Or a red-cloaked girl in a wood. Or a selkie in search of her sealskin. But what if the story didn't go quite the way you remembered it? Or if you could change what happened next?

Led by writer, folklorist and Edinburgh Napier Creative Writing lecturer Dr Elizabeth Dearnley, this workshop explores the use of folklore and fairy tales as a basis for fiction, revealing some of the hidden histories behind familiar stories and inviting you to try your hand at retelling your own versions. Through a series of playful writing activities (no prior experience required!) we'll explore how stories shift and evolve over time and cook up some brand-new folktales for 2024.

Dr Elizabeth Dearnley is a writer, artist and folklorist whose work explores fairy tales, horror and interactive storytelling. She is the creator of immersive theatre installations Big Teeth (2017-18), The Sandman (2019-20) and Fairy Light (2022-23), the editor of the British Library's weird fiction collections Into the London Fog (2020), Fearsome Fairies (2021) and Deadly Dolls (2024), and a regular contributor to the Times Literary Supplement and folklore zines Cunning Folk and Hellebore.

Elizabeth is a Lecturer in Creative Writing at Edinburgh Napier University, and also teaches at the Freud Museum London. She has previously taught at the University of London, UCL and the University of Cambridge, and leads workshops at universities, festivals and cultural organisations around the world. Current projects include a folk horror reimagining of Tam Lin and a 1940s choose-your-own-adventure-style retelling of Red Riding Hood.

About the Festival
After a triumphant debut year, the Edinburgh Women’s Fiction Festival is back for 2024 with a bigger, even more stunning lineup.

The Edinburgh Women's Fiction Festival is a literary festival celebrating writing for, by, and about women. We are an inclusive event and welcome everyone who finds joy in reading women's fiction - commercial, romance, historical, literary, book club and beyond. Our festival showcases authors of genres that are often overlooked, and our aim is to give readers the opportunity to connect with their favourite writers.

This year's festival will take place on Friday 27th and Saturday 28th September 2024, in our lovely venue of Morningside United Church - just five minutes walk from Bruntsfield Links and a short bus ride from the city centre. Directly opposite our main venue is our gorgeous Green Room and Festival Bar at McLaren's on the Corner, where you can relax between events and enjoy some refreshments.

2024 Programme
Details of our full programme will be announced soon, but you can see the line-up so on our website.

Tickets
General ticket sales will begin on 27th July 2024

Our festival strongly believes in paying our authors, chairs, and workshop leaders the fee recommended by the Scottish Book Trust, which has increased (which is wonderful for our authors!). This has meant an increase in ticket prices, but we are certain you’ll think it’s worth it!

Concession tickets — Where applicable, are available to students, registered disabled (plus one companion), registered unemployed, under 16s, Young Scot card holders and sponsors. Proof of entitlement will be required.