Event—Adult Education

Transforming Fairy Tales

Register

Understand artistic techniques in fairy tales across time and how contemporary writers draw on an old form to make something new.

Queen of the Meadow. Mary Cicely Barker, published by Frederick Warne & Co. Source: The Newberry Library John High Collection.

Class Description

This class invites beginners and experienced writers alike to use concepts from fairy tales as a launch pad for new writing. Drawing from Max Lüthi’s The Fairy Tale as Art Form and Portrait of Man, we’ll play with archetypes and motifs (and explore how motifs play with us), consider how far a fairy tale can be stretched into something new while still retaining some glimmer of recognition, and contemplate how the trope of the tiny flaw can serve as a source of tension in a story. We’ll look at work by authors such as Margaret Atwood, Michael Cunningham, Sofia Samatar, and more. In our final class, students will exchange drafts for peer and instructor feedback in a supportive environment.

All virtual classes are recorded and made available to participants registered in the class. These recordings are password-protected and available for up to two weeks after the class ends.

Anca L. Szilágyi is the author of Daughters of the Air, which Shelf Awareness called “a striking debut” and Dreams Under Glass, which Buzzfeed Books called “a novel for our modern times.” She has taught creative writing since 2010.

What to Expect

Format: Virtual 

Class Capacity: 30 

Class Style: Workshop; participation- and assignment-based 

Materials List

Required

  • Digital Course Packet

A Brief Syllabus

  1. Fairy Tale Archetypes & Motifs
  2. Stability vs Dynamism
  3. Perfection vs Imperfection
  4. Workshop

Cost and Registration

4 Sessions, $200 ($180 for Newberry members, seniors, and students). Learn about becoming a member.

We offer our classes at three different price options: Regular ($200), Community Supported ($185), and Sponsor ($215). Following the models of other institutions, we want to ensure that our classes are accessible to a wider audience while continuing to support our instructors. You may choose the price that best fits your situation when registering through Learning Stream.

To register multiple people for this class, please go through the course calendar in Learning Stream, our registration platform. When you select the course and register, you’ll be prompted to add another registrant.

Register

Take a Look

View our full schedule of adult education classes.

Class List

Support the Newberry

Your generosity is vital in keeping the library’s programs, exhibitions, and reading rooms free and accessible to everyone.

Make a Gift

Questions?

Call us at (312) 255-3700 or send us an email at adulteducation@newberry.org.

We are in office Tuesday through Thursday, 10 am–6 pm CT.
We are available by email Tuesday through Saturday.

Email Us