I’m just about to start a new podcast series called True Fairytales in which I simply tell a story.

Some of the stories will be the Narnia-like stories I wrote many years ago when I was a school chaplain. I’ll also be telling some classic fairytales, some of the stories of George McDonald and others.

What’s the point?

  • First of all, the truth is often best communicated by stories, and these stories will entertain, illuminate and inspire. They are the sorts of stories you can listen to and discuss and think about further.
  • Why not publish them in written form? Because stories are meant to be told. The storyteller was the first fiction author and they have an immediacy that reading from the page does not have.
  • What’s the good of listening to a story rather than watching a film? Your imagination is still engaged when you listen to a story. When you see a film or TV show everything is right there. Your imagination withers and dies.
  • Why stories? Because people have a shorter attention span. I’m working on a podcast novel, but these stories are short, accessible and for all ages.
  • Why fairytales? Because fairy tales have depth. There is much more going on in fairy stories than meets the eye. They reach down into the subconscious and open doors to the depths that realistic fiction cannot access. Check out J.R.R.Tolkien’s essay on fairytales here.
  • Who are they for? Listen to them as podcasts, listen to them with your kids and grandkids in the school commute or at story time-bedtime.
  • Isn’t fantasy literature a waste of time? No. It is through fantasy stories that we learn deep truths in a deep way.
  • Are they Catholic? All truth is Catholic truth. My own stories will have Catholic themes and symbols woven through them. They are for you to discuss and think about. Some of the other stories will have the symbols and themes embedded more deeply.
  • Will the podcasts be free? They are going to start out free, but after a few weeks of free access they will reside behind the Donor Subscriber boundary.
  • Why won’t they always be free? Because it costs something to produce the podcasts, host the blog, promote the podcasts and do this work. Before too long I’ll be introducing a new level of Donor Subscriber membership for podcasts only. This will be $4.95 a month. The top level subscription of $8.95/ month will include the podcast section.

I hope you enjoy them and send feedback!

The first one is coming up soon.