Remember how Hermione constantly nags Harry and Ron to brush up on Hogwarts: A History? “Bathilda’s Notebook” is the place to find out more about the real history behind Hogwarts’ creation. Writing with cutting-edge literary analysis of the series, Bathilda explores the literature and ideas that have most inspired Rowling, from Shakespeare to Sherlock Holmes.
Dr. Beatrice Groves teaches Shakespeare at Oxford University and is the author of Literary Allusion in Harry Potter, which is available now.
- Trouble in Faerie Land – Part 3: Searching for Duessa in “Troubled Blood” (October 13, 2020) - Were you surprised by the murderer in "Troubled Blood"? A closer look at "The Faerie Queene" epigraphs reveals extra clues that lead you in the direction of the proper suspect...
- Trouble in Faerie Land – Part 2: Shipping Robin and Strike in the Epigraphs of “Troubled Blood” (October 6, 2020) - By pairing Robin and Strike with characters from "The Faerie Queene", Dr. Beatrice Groves reveals how "Troubled Blood" foreshadows what's to come in the detectives' relationship.
- Trouble in Faerie Land (Part 1): Spenserian Clues in the Epigraphs of “Troubled Blood” (September 29, 2020) - Dr. Beatrice Groves explores how "The Faerie Queen" epigraphs in "Troubled Blood" impart clues about the story and characters as well as illuminate the book's central themes.
- “Troubled Blood” in London (September 10, 2020) - Dr. Beatrice Groves predicts that "Troubled Blood" will take us from St. John's Gate to the Hampton Court astronomical clock, all while weaving in elements of tarot and the occult.
- “Troubled Blood” in Cornwall (September 9, 2020) - In anticipation of the imminent release of "Troubled Blood", Dr. Beatrice Groves predicts that the upcoming novel will include Cornish myths, occult presences, and a mysterious place known as the Doom Bar.
- The Epigraphs of “Lethal White”: Shipping Strike & Robin (August 30, 2020) - Dr. Beatrice Groves explores how the "Rosmersholm" epigraphs in "Lethal White" reveal not only the importance of the white horse motif but also the passionate partnership at the forefront of both stories.
- Handfasting in “The Cuckoo’s Calling” and “Harry Potter”: A Discovery of a Walt Whitman Poem? (August 29, 2020) - Dr. Beatrice Groves argues that the unnamed poem Lula Landry recites in "The Cuckoo's Calling" is Walt Whitman's "Of the Terrible Doubt of Appearances" - a poem that connects to the theme of handfasting in both "The Cuckoo's Calling" and "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince".
- The Names of “The Ickabog” – Part 2: Ichabod (July 23, 2020) - Dr. Beatrice Groves uncovers how "The Ickabog" alludes to not just the name "Ichabod" but also the themes, plot, and narration of Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow."
- The Names of “The Ickabog” – Part 1 (July 22, 2020) - Dr. Beatrice Groves reveals the meaning behind the names of "The Ickabog" and explains how this newest fairy tale connects not only to the "Harry Potter" series and "Casual Vacancy" but also to such diverse artists as Shakespeare, Keats, and Monty Python.
- Solve et Coagula: Part 3 – Literary Alchemy (May 25, 2020) - In Part 3 of her "solve et coagula" analysis, Dr. Beatrice Groves explains how literary alchemy influences J.K. Rowling's writing process.
