The British Library
As you all know, we love a good fantasy book at the Imaginarium. And we even like some of the bad ones. However, in my experience, people often dismiss fantasy as childish and ridiculous. They are of course based on fables and fairy stories, but that doesn’t mean they should be discounted. Thats why I was very pleased and excited to find out that The British Library has an exhibit dedicated to the genre. Its recognition that the genre most definitely deserves, and when Daniel and I went to London on Monday we just had to go.
What is it?
Fantasy: Realms of Imagination is being shown at the British Library until February and it’s showcasing the vast landscapes, intrepid heroes, mysterious portals, shadowy forces, enchanted woodlands of the books we know and love. Fantasy, as a genre, has is its roots in ancient folklore and it’s a vast genre found across all media, from literature to games, films and TV.
The exhibition has four sections. Fairy and Folk Tales, Epics and Quests, Weird and Uncanny; and Portals and Worlds and as you move through them, you’re almost following a timeline of the genre. From the folktales that inspired the classics like Christina Rosetti’s Goblin Market, to how Rosetti’s work has inspired more modern stories. The exhibit boasts a collection of notes from Tolkien, etchings from Lewis Carrol, draft copies of Piranesi by Susanna Clarke and even a notebook from Charlotte Bronte. It also has recorded interviews with Ken Liu (author of The Dandelion Dynasty), Neil Gaiman and Natalie Haynes.
Each section has an introductory explanation, so for novices to fantasy, you can learn about the world building, the importance of heroes or anti-heroes and see how authors have used that as a basis to create their own stories. Have you ever heard us say “it’s not a fantasy book if it doesn’t have a map”? Thats because there is a great tradition of including maps in Fantasy novels to evoke invented geographies. It’s little things like this that we might know, but don’t know, that made the exhibit so interesting.
Why did you like it?
It was a good exhibit, and it was lovely to see books and authors I love being showcased along some of the greats. The British Library has worked hard to create a wonderful atmosphere as you’re walking around, with mystical music playing and excellent use of lighting. For me, it was more about the importance of showing Fantasy novels in a positive light. So much work and skill go into creating entire histories, languages, creatures and the enjoyment that we Fantasy novel readers get is extraordinary and its these reasons that fantasy as a genre should never be underestimated or ignored. In fact, its why we encourage you to try a Fantasy novel at least once.
Should I go?
If you’re in London and have an hour or two to spare, we recommend you go and check out the exhibit. However, if we had travelled up to London specifically for this, I think I would have been a little disappointed. All in, it took about an hour to walk around and read the information, and there were some truly awesome artefacts (Gandalf’s staff for one), but at £16 per person for non-members, it’s not for all budgets. Perhaps its because we’re familiar with the genre, but the exhibit seemed like a “taster” rather than an in-depth exploration. Having said that, perhaps if more people go, they’ll do something similar in the future!
