Greenhouse Research Talk Series
Dogsbody (1975) is a fantasy novel for children by Diana Wynne Jones, which features Sirius, the Lord of the Dog Star, trapped in the body of a retriever. This paper by Honoka Matsuki, Aoyama Gakuin University, will explore the extraordinary techniques used to depict intricate connections between animals, humans, and planets, surpassing simple anthropomorphism. Comparing the novel to other existing works, this paper aims to locate Jones’ “animal fantasy” in the history of fantasy literature.
Honoka Matsuki (she/her) is a PhD Student at Aoyama Gakuin Univeristy. A major in British Literature, she is especially interested in fantasy and children’s novels. She has focused on the works of Diana Wynne Jones, a British fantasy writer, throughout her studies.