Fairy Tale Rings

Cinderella by Debra Phillips

Cinderella and the Pumpkin Vine by Debra Phillips

FTR title only with flourish

Different fairy tales are explored five times a year: February, April, July, September, and November.

Fairy Tale Rings discuss the feature tale’s history and variants, meanings, and Australian perspective. Rings also feature storytelling, displays, and a chance to find out what is happening in the Fairy Tale world today.

Members receive resources of Bibliographies and Points to Ponder which stimulate discussion at Fairy Tale Ring meetings. Members who can’t get to a physical Ring can join the online discussion in the Magic Mirrors via Zoom.

Full of texts to study, books, news, and other media to reference – all with a particular emphasis on the tale’s relationship to Australia – resources of previously explored fairy tales are fonts of useful information for anyone studying or working with the tale in any form! Members can find these reading lists in the Members’ Section at Fairy Tale Biblios and Points to Ponder.

We continue to grow locally-run Rings around the country, so please don’t hesitate to contact our ‘Ring Maiden’, Jo Henwood, email austfairytales@gmail.com to find out what’s happening closest to you, or ask about forming a new Ring.

Upcoming fairy tales

April 2024The Stolen Bairn and the Sidhe (Irish)
July 2024The Ebony Horse (Arabian Nights) and The Little Humpbacked Horse (Russian)
September 2024Lady White Snake (Chinese)
November 2024Three Snake Leaves (Grimms – German)
February 2025The Bunyip (Australian)
April 2025Kovlad: The Lost Child (Slavic) and The Glass Coffin (Grimms – German)


Magic Mirror

A laptop with the AFTS logo on the screen sits inside an oval frame. Underneath is a gum leaf bearing the words Magic Mirror.

Ring Leader (from 2023) –  Jo Henwood

Location – Zoom.  Email austfairytales@gmail.com for the link.

Time –  1.30-4.30 AEDT

Cost – Free for members. If you would like to discover what we’re like before joining AFTS, please email austfairytales@gmail.com for the link.

Upcoming Magic Mirror discussions

Sunday 25 February.   Eucalyptus by Murray Bail  (Australian novel – you can read it over the summer break)

Saturday 27 April.   The Stolen Bairn and the Sidhe. (Scottish, Irish)

Adelaide

Inside an oval frame, a winged girl with curly toed boots leans back against a gum tree. A towsled bird perches in the tree. A tied bag sits on the path by the girl, which leads into distant hills. Under the oval, a gum leaf holds the text Adelaide Fairy Tale Ring.

Ring Leader –  Graham Ross

Location – at the home of different members. Email austfairytales@gmail.com for details.

Time – variable weekend afternoons

Cost – Non-members $5

Brisbane

An oval frame contains a crowned reader sitting on a rock reading a book which is floating away from their hands. Below their feet frun a river which flows to the Story Bridge and behind them is a city skyline. Underneath the oval is a gum leaf inscribed Brisbane Fairy Tale Ring.

Ring Leaders – Kathryn Gossow and Bettina Nissen

Location – State Library of Queensland

Time –   early afternoons

Cost – Non-members $5

Visit Brisbane Fairy Tale Ring Facebook group for details

Canberra

Inside a blue oval a bird flies over a river towards mountains under a sunset. Under the picture is a gum leaf with a gum nut and the leaf is inscribed Canberra Fairy Tale Ring.

Ring Leader – Leanbh Pearson

Location – Bookplate cafe, National Library of Australia, 25 Parkes Place West, Parkes

Time –   11am – 1pm 1st Saturday of the fairy tale month

Cost – Non-members $5

Contact  leanbhpearson@gmail.com for more details

Illawarra

Ring Leader – Pat Simmons

Location –   Various coffee shops in Thirroul.  Contact austfairytales@gmail.com for details.

Cost – Non-members $5

Note: They explore different fairy tales from what the rest of the AFTS covers. Contact austfairytales@gmail.com for details.

Perth

Blank countryside inside a red oval above a gum leaf inscribed Perth Fairy Tale Ring.

Ring Leader – Alyssa Curtayne

Location – Perth

Time –   We try to move the location around to make sure everyone has access to our meetings, but generally, we meet at a cafe near public transport on a Saturday morning at about 10am. We hope to see you there!

The Perth ring meets four times a year and our Perth community votes on which fairy tale we will look at based on nominations at ring meetings.

Cost – free

Contact  austfairytales@gmail.com for more details

Sydney

Neatly contained in an oval frame, a colourful cottage nestles in between trees with the moon rising above. A gum leaf underneath holds the text Sydney Fairy Tale Ring.

Ring Leader: Jo Henwood

Location – Don Bank Museum 6 Napier St North Sydney. 

Time – 1.30-4.30pm usually the first Saturday of the month.

Cost to cover venue hire  –  Members $7 Non-members $10

Victoria

Ring Leader – Patsy Poppenbeek

A very cute seahorse curls inside an oval frame. A gum leaf underneath contains the text Victoria Fairy Tale Ring.

Location – varies

Time – varies

Cost – varies

Email austfairytales@gmail.com for details.

2 thoughts on “Fairy Tale Rings”

  1. Pingback: Beauty and the Beast – Our Fairy Tale for November | australian fairy tale society

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