{"id":111144,"date":"2021-07-30T02:58:37","date_gmt":"2021-07-30T07:58:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/?p=111144"},"modified":"2021-07-30T02:58:37","modified_gmt":"2021-07-30T07:58:37","slug":"julia-golding-interview-part-ii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/2021\/07\/30\/111144-julia-golding-interview-part-ii\/","title":{"rendered":"Julia Golding Interview Part II"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In the first part of this interview<\/a> we met Julia Golding, founder of Project Northmoor and the Oxford Centre for Fantasy. Here we find out more about the Centre and the teachings of J.R.R. Tolkien. Don’t miss a first look at Julia’s video tour of the barrow of Wayland’s Smithy, which may have been one of the inspirations for the Barrow Downs east of the Shire in The Lord of the Rings<\/em>. She also takes us to the famous White Horse Hill. (Link at end of article.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mithril: I recently completed the first class offered by the Oxford Centre for Fantasy<\/em>. Along with truly fun and productive lectures and assignments, the course had some fantastic tutors and guest speakers, and I am now part of a community of writers inspired by Tolkien. We even have an online Inklings group the Centre created for us. Was it always your intent to grow the experience into a community? How do you see it evolving? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Julia:<\/strong> I wish I could claim I had a master plan, but actually it has been more an organic growing experience. Our headline thought was this project is about encouraging the next generation of fantasy creatives, using Oxford and the Inklings as examples to inspire us. The idea to create a space for a community of writers came from reading Diana Pavlac Glyer\u2019s book on the Inklings, Bandersnatch<\/em>. Diana was one of our guest speakers. Her book unpacks how the Inklings supported each other as writers, and also why it eventually folded as a group. I thought after reading this that it would be natural to see if our first students wanted to stay together to continue their journey, using the Inklings example. They clearly can\u2019t meet every week at Magdalen in C.S. Lewis\u2019s rooms as Tolkien and friends did, but they can meet together in their online group. Once the space was set up, I stepped back to let the students become their own thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

As for how it evolves, I see a larger group chat of creatives under our banner, where those who have done a course can post anything they think would be of interest to the whole community \u2013 articles, tips, news about Tolkien, big fantasy series as TV\/film programmes, or books \u2013 and then subdivided up into smaller groups of those who have been together on one of the courses \u2013 their writing pals. These are the real Inkling groups, as it is important to keep it personal and build friendships. Sharing writing involves trust, so that can\u2019t happen if the group gets too big.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Underway at the moment is a Novel-in-a-Year course, where many of those who came through the first course went on in order to achieve that manuscript they had been dreaming about for years. Some new people have also joined them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A second six-week Online Fantasy Course runs again from 5th<\/sup> October; and a second Novel-in-a-Year course will kick off in January 2022. In-person courses in Oxford will also begin next spring, if the world is able to travel. You\u2019ll be able to stay in a beautiful location, walk in the footsteps of the Inklings, hear talks from experts and also, if you pick the writing course option, do some creative writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo \u00a9Jason Barmer https:\/\/bit.ly\/3720Zss<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Mithril: During the class, you shared videos of walks you\u2019d taken in Tolkien-related settings. Have you always lived in the area where Tolkien lived, or did you move there to be close to his haunts? How does it feel to be able to walk the same paths as he did?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Julia:<\/strong> Living in Oxford was a result of having family locally. Like Tolkien\u2019s children, my husband comes from an Oxfordshire-based family so we were coming home (we were living in Poland at the time). By a nice coincidence, my husband\u2019s grandfather was Tolkien\u2019s squash partner when they were young academics in Leeds together in the 1920s \u2013 something that I always enjoyed as a fun little-known fact about him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve lived in Oxford since 1995. I love being in Tolkien\u2019s city. I knew first about the Eagle and Child Pub, which I pass on my way into the city centre – and always give it a nod as I cycle past. I\u2019m also a graduate of Magdalen College where C.S. Lewis and the Inklings met up for their sharing sessions. When Tolkien\u2019s house got its blue plaque saying he\u2019d lived there when he wrote The Lord of the Rings<\/em>, I realized I was on his doorstep \u2013 another thrill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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One of the Inklings meeting places.
Photo \u00a9proyectolkiens https:\/\/bit.ly\/3BNxPLR<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

A friend of mine lived in The Kilns (C.S. Lewis\u2019s house) at one stage, and it was very exciting to visit him there (it\u2019s not usually open to the public). Our friend and his housemates put together a party for our very little children that Christmas. They took off the back of a wardrobe and made it so it entered into the under-eaves attic space, which they decorated with artificial snow, fairy lights and a lamppost. It was magical for the under-fives (and the over-fives) to go through the wardrobe in Lewis\u2019 own house!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the unexpected benefits of a very strange year is that my family has got to know our local area better than ever before. The walks we\u2019ve done in the footsteps of Tolkien and other Oxford fantasy writers come out of this, and we\u2019ve had great pleasure discovering hidden treasures from our door. We\u2019ve treated it like a little research project. As well as our own local knowledge, we\u2019ve gleaned information from Tolkien and Lewis biographies, The Inklings of Oxford<\/em> by Poe and Veneman, John Garth\u2019s wonderful book, The Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien<\/em>, and a little pamphlet found in a charity shop by Heritage Tours called \u2018The Oxford of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The road goes ever on and on, down from the door where it began\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Julia Golding on the way to the barrows<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Mithril: You said you are still looking for a physical location for the <\/strong>Oxford Centre for Fantasy<\/strong>. Any news?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Julia:<\/strong> Yes! I\u2019m pleased to say we\u2019ve found a really good one. When we\u2019ve sorted out this arrangement we\u2019ll announce it, as it means Tolkien fans will be able to come and stay in a place in tune with their enthusiasm.  The pandemic obviously makes all this a little more difficult and delays in-person activities. Watch this space \u2013 or at least our website and social media feed – as we have something really exciting in the planning and will be announcing it soon!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us, and giving TheOneRing.net a first look exclusive at your video about Tolkien\u2019s world.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, take a walk with Julia to visit a barrow and the famous White Horse Hill.<\/strong>
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