Marina Warner

Marina Warner is a writer of fiction, criticism and history; her works include novels and short stories as well as studies of art, myths, symbols and fairytales.
“My critical and historical books and essays explore different figures in myth and fairy tale, such as the Virgin Mary and Joan of Arc; more recently I have concentrated on fairy tales, including the Arabian Nights. I also write novels and short stories, often drawing on mythic or other imaginary predecessors to translate them into contemporary significance – to re-vision them.

Stories come from the past but speak to the present, and I have found that I need to write stories as well as deconstruct them and place them in historical contexts, because I myself love reading works of imagination, and I would like to join the conversation with admired predecessors, who range from Apuleius to Virginia Woolf, Italo Calvino, and Angela Carter.”

Recent Diary Entries

Call for Papers (Deadline 15 Jan!): Enchanting Wor(l)ds: The Works of Marina Warner

10/01/25

The Centre for Comparative Literature and the Institute for Languages, Cultures and Societies are organising a one-day in-person conference, celebrating and engaging with Marina’s work. To read more about the call for papers, visit here. Some details h …

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LRB Podcast – Fiction and the Fantastic

10/01/25

Marina has been recording a podcast with the London Review of Books for their Close Reading series called ‘Fiction and the Fantastic’. The first episode is available from Monday 13th January, where Anna Della Subin joins Marina to discuss The Thousand …

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Alternative Lessons and Carols, 6 December 2024

28/11/24

Marina is going to be reading, alongside CAConrad, Jim Finer and Andrew O’Hagan (amongst others) an ‘alternative lesson’ as we approach the year’s festivities. The event, one of two shows on consecutive night with different line-ups, is organised by th …

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Latest Publications