On Tuesday evening, the esteemed Dr de Bono returned to FHS to give a lecture to the Sixth Form English students on Angela Carter’s Wolf Narratives. Thirty students sat in earnest listening to de Bono introduce ideas about “re-telling, revisiting, reappropriating and writing back” in literature before turning her attention to Carter’s prose, specifically her Wolf Narratives.

From discussing the 2020 ‘Reclaim Her Name’ campaign and why female writers use male pen names, to “re-telling” or rather “revisiting” fairy tales in Carter’s The Bloody Chamber, de Bono deftly moved between both tangible and more provoking thoughts. The students then examined three short stories: ‘The Werewolf’, ‘The Company of Wolves’ and ‘Wolf-Alice’ before closing with a discussion about masculinity, power, fertility and female sexuality. It was an exhilarating and thought-provoking lecture that provided the students with excellent fodder for their ‘Women in Literature’ A Level unit as well as possible themes for a future EPQ essay.

Well done to all students who enthusiastically contributed to the discussion!

Eleanor Chapman, Head of English