So, Witch Week 2021 has come to its end — hopefully with a bang and not a whimper! For the last few days we’ve put Treason and Plot under the spotlight as manifested in fantasy fiction, tales of adventure in settings both classical and modern, and in Shakespearean drama. Hosts and guests alike hope you’ve been mightily entertained, perhaps even shaken and stirred!
Co-hosts Lizzie and Chris are grateful for the help of everyone who participated:
- Lory of Entering the Enchanted Castle, who waxed lyrical about the work of Megan Whalen Turner;
- Jean of Howling Frog Books, for introducing us to an almost forgotten children’s adventure series written by John Verney;
- Ola and Piotrek, of Re-Enchantment of the World, whose enthusiasm for the late Roger Zelazny’s Amber Chronicles shines through in their post;
- I can’t not include Lizzie of Lizzie Ross, Writer herself who has not only shared in preparations and contributed a post but has also edited down our Tempest discussion for posting;
- Citizens of the social media world, too numerous to mention, who added comments and questions; who may have tweeted/Facebooked/Instragrammed links to our posts; and who included pingbacks, links, and reviews on their own blogs;
- Readers around the globe who’ve viewed posts or even just ‘liked’ them!
And, finally, once again, a special nod of appreciation to Lory, who seven years ago started this annual celebration of Diana Wynne Jones and fantasy fiction. The first wonderful series of Witch Weeks appeared on Lory’s former blog, the Emerald City Book Review, between 2014 and 2017; since she’s moved to her new website they may be available if you search its archive:
Witch Week 2017: Dreams of Arthur
Witch Week 2016: Made in America
Witch Week 2015: New Tales from Old
Witch Week 2014: Diana Wynne Jones
But she was brave enough to let Lizzie and myself take over, which we’ve now done for *checks records* the last four years. Here are links to our previous posts:
Witch Week 2020: Gothick
Witch Week 2019: Villains
Witch Week 2018: Fantasy & Feminism
Thanks again to all of you for sharing this event with us, and we hope you’ll rejoin us here next year, when our theme will be … Polychromancy.
We can imagine the look of puzzlement on your faces! What’s Polychromancy?! To get an inkling of the basic premise of this theme do have a look at this review of Maria Sachiko Cecire’s Re-Enchanted which investigates the disproportionate dominance of white writers in fantasy; as for what to expect next year, watch this space!
Did you manage to read anything related to our theme during this Witch Week? Feel free to share in the comments below if you did! 🙂
Yes, I was among those wearing a puzzled expression at meeting the theme for next year 🤔 Still not sure that I understand it but all will be revealed by next year! Meanwhile, thanks to all involved for a stimulating week. And for extending my tbr yet again! 😉
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Thanks, Sandra, I’m so glad you were stimulated, even if your overburdened wishlist has been extended!
Polychromancy? In short, we hope to be looking at fantasy and speculative fiction by ‘non-whites’ (horrible term) — that is speculative writers who identify as black, indigenous, people of colour, Asian, mixed heritage or minority ethnic.
We went for Polychromancy — multi-coloured + Ancient Greek ‘manteia’ meaning divination — as an umbrella term (though I see that this invented term has already been co-opted as an element in a minor fantasy series). Hope that clears things up a bit!
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Ah yes, that does help, Chris, thank you 😊
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Phew!
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Pingback: #WitchWeek2021 Wrap-up | Lizzie Ross
It was great (and easy) to partner with you, Chris, on this year’s Witch Week celebration. Let me add my own thanks to all our participants and readers, and to Lory for creating this wonderful celebration of all books fantastical.
I believe I’ve told you already that I love the meme and theme for next year. I admit to having a huge gap in my own fantasy readings, and I’m excited to start filling it in.
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A pleasure to work with you, Lizzie, a sensible Sancho Panza to my blundering Don Quixote. I’m already now thinking ahead to the vistas opened up by polychromantic writers…
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I’m sorry I didn’t really explore the theme with my offering, but was still glad to take part.
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Absolutely not a problem, Cathy, but I think you definitely brought out the thread of betrayal, with family members, friends and others in the Salem community ‘informing’ on the supposed witches. An excellent review of a title I’m encouraged to at least look at.
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(Incidentally, Cathy’s review is here: https://wp.me/p49UqI-3ap)
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Although I haven’t commented a lot, I *have* enjoyed very much reading all these posts. Thanks to you and your contributors – most interesting! 😀
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Thanks, Karen, and further thanks for retweeting all my blog posts on Twitter, I’m inordinately grateful!
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Loved it and am so looking forward to next year’s event!
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Thanks so much! As Paul Simon wrote, “I’m trying to keep my customers satisfied” and I’m glad we seem to be succeeding! And next year I’m sure we both hope will be a humdinger. 😊
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Nice work Chris and Lizzie. You are a great team! Congratulations on another creative year and looking forward to what next year brings.👍
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Thanks so much, Laurie, just basking in reflected glory from our guest bloggers. 😊
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At first I thought of Brandon Sanderson’s Warbreaker, which does involve a magic of color, but this makes much more sense! I look forward to next year, and I’m so glad you and Lizzie are keeping the magic going. 🙂
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I spotted that the term polychromancy was used in the Lightbringer Series by Brent Weeks, Jean, but we chose to make it head in a different direction, so I’m glad it makes sense to you too! We’re just taking a breather but we’ve already got some ideas brewing for next year!
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Ooh, next year’s theme will be fascinating I’m sure. Thank you for a magical week and I’m already looking forward to next time. 😀
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‘Magical’ is what we’re aiming for, Lory, so it’s win-win all round! So pleased we’re living up to your wonderful template and example.
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Thanks guys, for the wonderful Witch Week! I’m sorry I wasn’t commenting as much as I intended and wanted, but, you know, life. Still, it was great fun, and great posts, and fabulous discussion on Tempest, so thank you!!
As for next year’s theme, I thought of Weeks’s Lightbringer series, but I really like your new direction. If I can recommend something, I’d like to offer Marlon James’s Black Leopard, Red Wolf (https://reenchantmentoftheworld.blog/2020/03/25/marlon-james-black-leopard-red-wolf-2019/) as a contender for next year’s Witch Week. Also, Zen Cho’s Sorcerer to the Crown would be a nice, UK-related pick 🙂
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No worries, Ola, we do what we can do, and your contribution to Witch Week 2021 has already been invaluable, adding immeasurably to its impact!
I’ve just read your review of the Marlon James (I don’t know how I missed it last year) and I can see why you rate it so highly in spite of it being strong stuff. When alighting on next year’s theme I was initially flummoxed to find Week had already appropriated the term polychromancy, but I’m happy we are taking it in a different direction—words have always had the propensity to be multi- or polyvalent, especially when they become metaphors.
I really want to read Zen Cho’s most recent title, having enjoyed Sorcerer to the Crown a while ago—in fact, where next year’s event is concerned we’re spoilt for choice and we run the risk that we’re faced with enough material to easily have a ten-day or fortnight’s celebration! *gulp*
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Great wrap-up (even though I was late to the posts, I managed to catch up on all of them)! I’m already looking forward to the next round of this, very thought provoking subjects and post roll. Thanks!
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You’re very kind, Lex, and I’m glad you managed to get through them all! I’m always chuffed that guest bloggers rise to the challenge of a theme while also being very creative about how they present it. Next year’s theme looks to be even more interesting in terms of what eventually emerges, I think.
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