Description: Somewhere between epic history, sword and sorcery and Tolkien-esque fantasy exists a thick vein of storytelling that would make Robert E Howard and H.G. Wells proud. We present a compilation of savage swordplay, and high magic, of daring deeds and gaudy battles, in a blazing mix of classic and brand new writing from terrific modern authors.
Brief description: Philippa Semper is a medievalist at the University of Birmingham, where she lectures on Old and Middle English Literature and modern fantasy. She has published on texts from the Anglo-Saxon period to the twenty-first century, and is currently writing about Neil Gaiman and Lord Dunsany. She has been a speaker at Hay Festival and given papers and keynote lectures at a range of conferences on fantasy. She particularly enjoys introducing students to Beowulf, chivalric romance, and J.R.R. Tolkien.