WordSpring 2026 Workshop

Sunday, May 31, 2026,

9:30 am to 11:30 am

Anastasios (Tommy) Mihalopoulos

Twice Upon a Time: Retelling Myth, Fairy Tales, and Folklore in Short Fiction with Anastasios Mihalopoulos

We are all drawn to the surreal worlds of myth and fairy tales. Both the volatility and malleability of these stories—how they retain their form while lending themselves towards an endless process of telling and retelling. They are songs that we never grow tired of hearing: ancient melodies imagined and reimagined ad infinitum. There is a rising trend in myth and fairytale retellings in the current literary landscape and in this workshop we will dig into why that is, what the risks and benefits are of doing so, as well as what writing techniques we can use to craft our own works.

Workshop will begin with a brief lecture on myth retelling/craft followed by writing prompts and workshop. Some work considered will include Kate Bernheimer, Christopher Barzak, Angela Carter, Sarah Shun-lien Bynum, and others.