Writing Magical Realism with Tanya Farrelly

Course Summary

In this workshop attendees will explore Magical Realism looking at what defines and differentiates it from genres such as fantasy or absurdist fiction. Through a range of readings and writing exercises, we will examine the main elements of Magical Realism, focusing on the importance of character, atmosphere, setting and story structures, as well as the influence of the tradition fairytale, ghost stories, and the use of ‘miracles’ or uncanny events. With the aid of writing prompts, participants will have the chance to put into practice what they have learned, receiving feedback on their work in a fun and supportive environment.

Course Outline

We will begin our course by discussing what exactly defines a magical realist story by looking at its main characteristics. We will read two samples: The Tiger’s Bride, a short story by Angela Carter and an extract from Isabelle Allende’s bestselling novel The House of Spirits. In the first story, we will discuss how magic realist stories often take their inspiration from traditional fairytales. In the second, we will see how actual magic works in conjunction with the realist setting of the story.

We will look at the role of ‘the miracle’ or ‘uncanny events’ in extracts from the work of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Alice Hoffman. We will also look at Irish author Jan Carson’s story Troubling the Water from her story collection Quickly, While They Still have Horses.

Finally, we will read two extracts from Jess Kidd’s novels: Himself and Things in Jars in order to discuss how ghosts may feature in magic realism. What is the overlap and the differences between it and gothic or supernatural fiction?

Course Outcomes

By the end of the course participants will have read numerous extracts from magical realist novels as well short stories. In the first five weeks of the course, they will be asked to do a number of short writing exercises based on the readings and discussions each week.

In the final three weeks of the course, participants will have the opportunity to submit a short story (up to 2000 words) for facilitator and peer feedback, putting into practice what they have learned.

Tanya Farrelly is the author of five books: three short fiction collections: When Black Dogs Sing (Kate O’ Brien Award 2017), Nobody Needs To Know (Arlen House, 2021), and The Marionette and the Maestro (Arlen House, 2025) and two psychological thrillers: The Girl Behind the Lens and When Your Eyes Close (Harper Collins) She holds a PhD in Creative and Critical Writing from Bangor University. She teaches at numerous institutions and was appointed Arts Council Writer-in-Residence at NUI Galway in 2021. She is currently working on a historical fiction novel.

Booked out? To be added to the waiting list for this course, please email bookings@irishwriterscentre.ie.