Elizabeth Hopkinson

Elizabeth Hopkinson

Historical fantasy and fairy tales with asexual representation

www.elizabethhopkinson.uk
Booking enquiry
Elizabeth Hopkinson - author tools

Available for

Workshop, Talk, Reading, Interview

Audiences

Age 14 to 16, Age 16 to 18+, Further Education, University, Adult

Genres

Fable, Fairy tale, Fan fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Folklore, Historical fiction, History, Legend, Magical realism, Mythology, Mythopoeia, Short story

Book types

Anthologies, Fiction for young-adults

Details

For Schools, Colleges and Youth Groups

Author visits with readings from Angelio and discussion/workshop questions 

Tailored to your needs around one of the following PSHE topics:

  • Asexual and Nonbinary Identities
  • Body Modification
  • The Pros and Cons of Fame
  • Friendship and Bullying
  • Healthy and Unhealthy Relationship Behaviours
  • Inclusion and Discrimination
  • Disablility and Visible Difference

Author visits with readings from Asexual Fairy Tales and discussion/workshop questions 

Tailored to your needs around one or more of the following English topics:

  • Fairy tales, myths and legends
  • Oral storytelling vs written texts
  • Recognising themes, tropes and symbolism
  • Shared stories, tropes and themes across different cultures 
  • Harmful stereotypes and reclaiming narratives – who tells your story?
  • Different interpretations of the same story
  • Structure of stories

For LGBTQIA+ Groups

I am happy to read from my work and talk about:

  • My ace journey, asexual identities and ace rights
  • Finding representation in folklore/myth and history
  • My author journey and advice about writing as an LGBTQIA+ author

For Community/Writers/Book Groups

  • Creative writing workshops based around fairy tales, myths & legends
  • Talk with Q & A about my journey as a writer
  • Author visit with book group discussion of one of my books

Own Voices Statement & Access Needs

I identify as asexual, and my pronouns are she/they. I have lived with chronic depression/anxiety from the age of 16, and with fibromyalgia since 2016. I am probably neurodivergent (undiagnosed).

It is because of my health conditions that I have limited my visits to the local area and virtual events. I will consider visits outside the local area if overnight accommodation is provided. If being invited to a full day event, I would require rest breaks and a quiet room.

Please consult my Access Needs form for full details. (Supplied at time of booking).

Terms & Conditions

My fees are in line with the Society of Authors recommendations, but I am willing to negotiate something affordable in the case of small charitable and community groups.
I have public indemnity insurance as part of my SoA membership. As a condition of this, I must not be left alone with children or vulnerable adults.
Authors visiting a school/college/university on an irregular “volunteer” basis are not required to have a DBS. 
Please consult the full SoA guidelines for authors speaking at events.

Testimonials

“Elizabeth is a skilled facilitator who blends just enough teaching to provide content with creative exercises which stimulated us to create worlds about which I wanted to write”.- Swanwick Writers’ Summer School 
”I really enjoyed the reading! Being an asexual myself I’m really glad you wrote this book! I hope you continue writing!”- University of Huddersfield LGBTQ+ Society"
Really interesting - had insightful discussions and learned a lot about old fairy tale tropes. Got good book recs - thank you!"- Alphabet Collective, Leeds
“Many thanks to Elizabeth for facilitating such a sensitive and thoughtful workshop – it was so good.”- WUR Bradford
”What Elizabeth Hopkinson has done is brought aces to the forefront in these pieces of writing. It’s an incredible and necessary thing!”- AVEN (Asexual Visibility & Education Network)
“Compelling throughout and very accomplished”- Patience Agbabi, Tempest Award judge
A beautiful historical fantasy that shows how rash judgements can not only be wrong, but life changing… Hopkinson is an expert in crafting magical realism in her works and this book is no exception.”- Lindsey Barger, Read With Lindsey Book Reviews

Books by Elizabeth Hopkinson

I’ve written 7 books including Cage of Nightingales and Asexual Fairy Tales, and featured in numerous anthologies.
IBSN: 9781997726029
Masquerade of Finches (Angelio book 2)

Masquerade of Finches (Angelio book 2)

A vow to an archangel. A web of unspoken love. A commission that could shatter it all. Two years ago, Tammo and Carlo saved Celestina’s life—and bound themselves in a sacred vow to the Archangel Michael. Now, Tammo’s rare gift as a bird-charmer has made him a favorite of the nobility, and Carlo’s voice is taking Angelio’s opera world by storm. But beneath beauty and acclaim, tangled feelings churn between the three of them: love, duty, and truths too long unspoken. When alluring and dangerous Marchesa della Pamina offers Tammo a commission, it sets off a chain of betrayals that threatens to unravel their bond—and expose Carlo’s most closely guarded secret. As Carnival season draws them into a glittering world of masks and misdirection, desire and jealousy begin to distort the very gifts that once bound them together. And when trust falters, even an angel’s blessing may not be enough to hold them Masquerade of Finches is a story of fragile devotion, found family, and queer identity—featuring a tender portrayal of an asexual, nonbinary eunuch at its heart. Shortlisted for the Tempest Prize “Compelling throughout and very accomplished.” - Patience Agbabi 
IBSN: 9781998055289
Cage of Nightingales (Angelio Book 1)

Cage of Nightingales (Angelio Book 1)

Two boys. One meek, one rebellious. Both discover a power that will set them free…or sever them. In a highly structured eighteenth-century society, the city-state of Angelio is known for two things: its music and its guardian, the Archangel Michael. At Angelio’s music school—nicknamed the Cage of Nightingales—castrato singer Carlo is destined for fame at the opera…at the price of his freedom. Charity pupil Tammo hates the school and the restrictive future it offers, dreaming instead of escaping to live in the woods to charm birds with his flute. When Tammo meets Carlo, their lives change forever. With the Archangel’s help, they are granted the power to fulfil each other’s deepest desires—but every gift demands a price. As music opens doors to a glittering world beyond the Cage, the bond between them is tested by ambition, longing, and the fragile promises they have made. And their choices will shape not just their futures, but that of Celestina—a young aristocrat who will become entwined in their lives in ways neither of them can foresee. Cage of Nightingales is a story of found family, and queer identity—featuring a tender portrayal of an asexual, nonbinary eunuch. 
IBSN: 9781781328941
Asexual Fairy Tales

Asexual Fairy Tales

Almost everyone knows the familiar fairy tale ending: the prince marries the princess and they live happily ever after. Or do they? Once upon a time, our ancestors were much more honest and open about the spectrum of human sexuality. Among the fairy tales and myths they told were stories of androgynes, neither male nor female; of women and men who resist sex and marriage for other kinds of love; of chaste romances, miraculous childbirth and bodily transformations. These are the asexual fairy tales you will find in this book. These tales come from many places: from Grimms’ Fairy Tales to The Thousand and One Nights, from Greek mythology and Arthurian legend to the silent films of the 1920s and from Scandinavia to Japan. Retold, reimagined, and sometimes reinvented as new stories for the 21st century, these stories will change the way you think about fairy tales, and bring asexuality out of the closet. 
IBSN: 9781800420236
Asexual Myths & Tales

Asexual Myths & Tales

Once upon a time, our ancestors told tales of asexuality, symbolic stories that hint at other identities: a princess who grows a beard to escape marriage, a knight who forsakes his wife's bed to become a werewolf, a goddess with detachable parts, a planet where everyone is asexual. Drawn from many times and places, retold and reimagined for the 21st century, Elizabeth Hopkinson's second book of myths and tales brings asexuality out of the closet and gives it the history it has been denied. 
IBSN: 9781800422285
More Asexual Fairy Tales

More Asexual Fairy Tales

A girl who crafts a husband from marzipan. A man who thinks he’s made of glass. A nonbinary sibling who succeeds where their brothers fail. An origin story for the asexual flag. In this third collection, Elizabeth Hopkinson collects, combines and reinvents tales from Spain to China, El Salvador to India, bringing asexual identities to the fore. With original stories about a gender-swapped Cinderella, a poster in love, and a queer platonic relationship, this is her most inventive collection yet. 
IBSN: 9781800422926
Legends from Lindisfarne: Diverse and Inclusive Saints

Legends from Lindisfarne: Diverse and Inclusive Saints

A trans monk. A mermaid saint. A headless healer. A werewolf refugee. Asexual Fairy Tales author Elizabeth Hopkinson lends her numinous storytelling voice to lesser-known saints from Celtic lands in the age of Patrick, Columba and Cuthbert - alongside some of their influencers and inheritors. From Brigid the Time Traveller to Cædmon the Socially Anxious, from Brendan the Respecter of First Nations to the Black Madonna of Montevergine who protects same-sex couples and traditional third genders, this collection of tales from the past has much to teach us about diversity and inclusion today. 
IBSN: 9781780998725
Silver Hands

Silver Hands

A mysterious pendant. A sinister suitor. And an epic chase to the Edge of the Map... 1706. The rival Dutch and English East India Companies sail the world s oceans, bringing back exotic treasures and tales of fantastical lands. In coastal Hollyport, Margaret faces a terrible choice: to abandon herself to a marriage that could erase her very soul, or to risk all aboard a ship bound for dangerous waters. With her betrothed husband, the sinister Mr Van Guelder in pursuit, Margaret embarks on a journey like no other: where pirates, flying islands and secret empires await; along with unexpected friendship from troubled young nobleman Taro, whose estate holds surprises and sorrows of its own. But Van Guelder is never far behind, nor is the power of the mysterious lodestone round his neck, and Margaret will have to learn the true nature of suffering before she can ever be free. 

Upcoming events

Saturday, 15 Aug 2026: Authors in the Abbey

Authors in the Abbey

Selling & signing event

Photos and videos

Elizabeth Hopkinson - first image
Elizabeth Hopkinson - first image
Elizabeth Hopkinson - first image
Elizabeth Hopkinson - first image
Elizabeth Hopkinson - first image
Elizabeth Hopkinson - first image
Elizabeth Hopkinson - first image
Elizabeth Hopkinson - first image
Elizabeth Hopkinson - first image

Keywords

ACE ASEXUAL ASEXUALITY BODY BULLYING CULTURE DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION DIVERSITY FAIRYTALE FAME FANTASY FRIENDSHIP HISTORICAL IDENTITY INCLUSION LEGEND LGBTQ LGBTQIA+ MYTHOLOGY PSHE QUEERHISTORY RELATIONSHIPS REPRESENTATION STEREOTYPES SYMBOLISM TROPES WORKSHOP WRITING YAFICTION YOUNGADULT