John Bauer’s image of a princess and a couple of likely-looking trolls.

Woohoo! Approval has just come through for a course I’ll be teaching at USQ in semester one next year. The course is called CWR2001 Fairytales and Other Forms.

According to the newly-approved synopsis (not yet available on the uni website, but soon, I promise!):

Through close study of a range of poetic forms, and a suite of folk and fairytales, this course will equip you with a deep understanding of how writers draw on traditional forms to create dynamic and engaging contemporary works of fiction and poetry. The course is designed to emphasise the dynamic relationship between reading the works of other writers, and developing your own writing skills and techniques.

During the course you will read, analyse, and write folk and fairytales. You will examine a range of traditional tales—including works collected by the Brothers Grimm, tales written by Hans Christian Andersen, and tales from the French conte de fée tradition—as well as contemporary retellings and original works. Your own original or retold fairytale will draw on this rich tradition.

You will also read, analyse and write poetry, with a strong emphasis on the relationship between traditional and contemporary poetic forms and practice. You will examine the history of a range of traditional forms, such as the sonnet and the villanelle, and read and critically analyse both traditional and contemporary examples of each form studied. Your own original poems will draw on and demonstrate your rich understanding of these poetic forms.