Feministwords: A workshop with Roxanne Bodsworth

Changing the Story – feminist reconstruction of mythological tales

Stories are powerful, especially those stories deeply embedded in our psyche, such as fairytales we learnt as children, or those which are part of the mythological and literary canon that informs our identity as we mature. Whether the stories are drawn from the Brothers Grimm, Greek mythology, Arabian nights, religious texts, or Disneyland, they tell us who we are supposed to be as women. Join feminist writer and critic, Roxanne Bodsworth, in dismantling these narratives and putting them back together in ways that subvert the established order and enable the imagination of a very different world. 

Roxanne Bodsworth is a writer, celebrant, and sheep farmer. Her obsession with mythology has led her on many adventures in Australia, Ireland, and the UK, where she has been immersed in oral storytelling. She taught Myths and Symbols in the Diploma of Arts (Professional Writing), spent a year on a travel scholarship at Cork University, Ireland, and achieved her PhD with a feminist reconstruction of Irish mythology. In 2024, her retelling of an eighth-century Irish tale was published by Ceræ and she was awarded their ECR Essay Prize. Roxanne’s published work includes poetry, short stories, articles, chapters, and books including the third edition of Sunwyse: celebrating the Wheel of the Year in Australia (2020), which examines stories and traditions associated with seasonal festivals. She loves exploring the pathways of myth and fairytales, wandering off-track into the forests of the imagination, and bringing back treasures to help us navigate everyday life.