{"id":8585,"date":"2025-05-11T07:17:54","date_gmt":"2025-05-11T07:17:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/montylitfest.com\/?p=8585"},"modified":"2025-05-11T07:23:21","modified_gmt":"2025-05-11T07:23:21","slug":"the-heros-journey-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/montylitfest.com\/?p=8585","title":{"rendered":"The Hero’s Journey"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Journeys have always been an integral part of storytelling. So much so that, back in the 1940s, Joseph Campbell identified a story template for the elements needed for a cracking tale known as The Hero’s Journey. We need a hero, of course, and a quest; a journey into the unknown with plenty of obstacles along the way, and, finally, a triumphant return.\u00a0<\/p>

Think\u00a0The Lord of the Rings <\/em>or Star Wars<\/em> or the granddaddy of them all, Homer’s\u00a0Odyssey<\/em>.\u00a0<\/p>

At this year’s Monty Lit Fest, we have heroes and journeys aplenty, with many a triumphant return resulting in some brilliant books.\u00a0<\/p>

Russ Williams was raised on Wales\u2019s folk stories. So he decides to set out in Griff, his creaky red Fiesta, in search of the places associated with Welsh legends, folklore and urban myths.\u00a0The result is\u00a0Where the Folk<\/em>, where Russ explores everything from witches, giants and heroic kings to giant beaver monsters, vampire furniture and pirate-fighting monks. Meet Russ in conversation with storyteller Owen Staton<\/a> to hear all about that trip and what those stories tell us about Wales past and present.<\/p>

Walking in Wales also has a rich tradition, and it’s these many journeys by locals and visitors alike that Andrew Green uses as his starting point for Voices on the\u00a0<\/em>Path, his history of Wales told by and through a host of remarkable walkers.\u00a0Join Andrew in conversation with Mike Parker<\/a> as he takes us on a meandering journey from the footprints of Mesolithic people in the mud of the Severn estuary to strollers on Swansea\u2019s promenade today.<\/p>

In Birdland<\/em>, Jon Gower’s quest is simple: to visit some of the best places in Britain to watch birds. But what he finds is far more complex, as he unpicks our intimate connection with the birdlife around us and explores the challenges our birds face in the light of\u00a0 the climate emergency, the decline in biodiversity and warming oceans.\u00a0 He’ll be telling us all about it in conversation with Adam Bedford<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>

Exploring our island’s coastline is the quest for two more of our authors this year.\u00a0 Roger Morgan-Grenville describes his latest book, The Restless Coast<\/em>, as a \u00a0\u2018love letter to our island edge.\u2019 Adam Bedford will be talking to Roger<\/a> about his journey around the coast of mainland Britain to tell the story of the its extraordinary and precious natural history, the challenges and opportunities it faces and the people who are trying to protect it.<\/span><\/p>

Matthew Yeoman’s quest<\/a> is focussed on the Welsh coast. In\u00a0Seascape<\/em>, Matthew journeys along the Wales Coast Path, reminding us of how the sea has shaped our history, mythology, literature and culture. But he also challenges us to face the realities of rising sea levels and how we will have to adapt where and how we live alongside the sea in future. It’s a fascinating and important story that is well worth hearing about.\u00a0<\/p>

Journeys always begin with the first step, so take yours now and begin your own Monty Lit Fest journey.\u00a0 Tickets are selling fast.\u00a0 Get them online<\/a>, or in person at The Montgomery Bookshop or Ivy House Caf\u00e9 in Montgomery.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Journeys have always been an integral part of storytelling. So much so that, back in the 1940s, Joseph Campbell identified a story template for the elements needed for a cracking tale known as The Hero’s Journey. We need a hero, of course, and a quest; a journey into the unknown with plenty of obstacles along …<\/p>\n

The Hero’s Journey<\/span> Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":8589,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[140],"tags":[92,188,120,168,61,170,187,44,186,167],"class_list":["post-8585","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-monty-lit-fest-2025","tag-books","tag-coast","tag-heros-journey","tag-jon-gower","tag-lit-fest","tag-matthew-yeomans","tag-owen-staton","tag-roger-morgan-grenville","tag-russ-williams","tag-walking"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Hero's Journey - 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