Rose Rahtz: 'What if you did have magical powers in a toddler?'

Rose Rahtz: 'What if you did have magical powers in a toddler?'

Author: Fictionable June 6, 2024 Duration: 24:27



This spring we've already heard from Jenny Erpenbeck, Grahame Williams and Lauren Caroline Smith. This time we welcome Rose Rahtz and her short story Where Hast Thou Been, Sister?


Rahtz tells us how the story started as a response to the opening of Macbeth, where there is a roll of thunder and Shakespeare's First Witch asks, "Where hast thou been, sister?"


"I've always really liked the witch's response, because she's so perfunctory about it," she says. "She just goes 'I've been killing swine, obviously, I'm a witch'."


Thinking about female power and powerful children, Rahtz transported Shakespeare's blasted heath to a farm park and turned his witch into a toddler. There's something mighty about a small child, she explains, "It's that tug between huge power of emotion and complete impotence within the world."


Channelling her eldest daughter, who was a "force of nature" when she was young, Rahtz sets her uncanny toddler loose – though she insists that no animals were harmed in the making of this story.


Witches are outlaw figures who disrupt the patriarchy, Rahtz continues, and writing is a kind of disruption to her job as an English teacher. While the GCSE English language paper is a "horrorshow" where children are being asked to dance a grammatical jig, "the joy of being an English teacher is you teach around the edges of the curriculum".


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Fictionable is a space for those drawn to the compact power of short stories and the vivid narratives of graphic fiction. Each episode delves into the craft and culture surrounding these forms, featuring conversations with the writers and artists themselves. We explore the techniques behind compelling brevity, the unique challenges of visual storytelling, and the diverse literary scenes influencing work today. The discussion often extends to broader book chat, examining how these shorter pieces fit into the wider landscape of reading and creativity. It’s a podcast built for curious readers who find entire worlds in a few pages or panels, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the stories published in the Fictionable collection. You’ll hear about inspiration, process, and the personal connections that fuel these works, all sourced from a global community of creators. The aim is to deepen appreciation for the art form while celebrating the voices shaping it. This isn’t just analysis; it’s an invitation into the ongoing conversation between author, artist, and audience. Join us for a thoughtful and engaging exploration of narrative in its most concentrated and visually dynamic forms.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 59

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