About the event

What makes the Cinderella story not only instantly recognisable, but also enduringly relevant? After hundreds of years of retellings, who is this story still for today?

These are some of the questions explored by Michelle Anya Anjirbag in her forthcoming book Cinderella: A Cultural History (Bodleian Library Publishing, October 2026). Tracing the fairy tale’s rich history, Anjirbag examines how Cinderella has evolved across cultures and time while retaining its remarkable appeal, considering not only how the story itself has changed, but its potential to shape and transform its audiences. She will demonstrate how fairy tales as a genre continue to evolve as a living, breathing storytelling tradition, remaining as meaningful and relevant today as they have been for generations.

Speaker

Michelle Anya Anjirbag is a fairy tale, children and adaptation scholar, and the author of Appropriated Tales: Race and the Disney Fairy-Tale Mode (Wayne State University Press, 2025).

Event information

• This event is free and open to all.
• The event takes place in person only in the Sir Victor Blank Lecture Theatre at the Weston Library. Find out how to get here.
• The Weston Library is wheelchair accessible. Find out more about accessibility at our site.

Join Friends of the Bodleian

To enjoy closer access to the Bodleian, including exclusive events and priority access to online content, join the Friends today. For more information, email fob@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.