Online Talk: The Brothers Grimm - A Biography

Date 20 October 2026 19:00 - 20:30

Location Online talk

Speaker Ann Schmiesing

The Brothers Grimm - A Biography

A Folklore Society online talk by

Ann Schmiesing

Tuesday 20 October 2026

19:00-20:30 (BST)

More than two hundred years ago, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published a collection of fairy tales that remains famous the world over. But few people today are familiar with the fascinating origins and actual contents of their tales. Dispelling misconceptions about their collection opens a path to better understanding the Grimms’ remarkable achievements amid tremendous personal and political upheavals. The Grimms’ lives were punctuated by the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, the early death of their father, and their frequent clashes with territorial rulers as scholars, librarians, and civil servants. Their many accomplishments beyond the fairy tales include their vast work on mythology and medieval literature, Jacob Grimm’s groundbreaking linguistic scholarship, and the grand German dictionary project on which he and Wilhelm embarked. This talk presents the “once upon a time” of the fairy tales in the context of the Grimms’ time and their legacy.

Ann Schmiesing is Professor of German at the University of Colorado Boulder. Her book The Brothers Grimm: A Biography won the Folklore Society’s 2025 Katharine Briggs Award and the American Folklore Society’s 2024 Wayland D. Hand Prize, and appeared on the New Yorker ‘Best Books of 2024’, New Statesman ‘Best Summer Reads 2025’, and History Extra ‘Best History Summer Reads of 2025’ lists.

Tickets £6.00 (£4.00 for Folklore Society members with the Promo Code–log in to https://folklore-society.com/members-only to get the Promo Code) from The Brothers Grimm: A Biography Tickets, Tuesday, October 20  •  7 PM - 8:30 PM GMT+1 | Eventbrite

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