"Creating Chaucer"

Darn tootin'!

Short post alert!

I’m writing to you from Oxford - tomorrow I am participating in the closing event for the Chaucer Here and Now exhibition entitled '“Creating Chaucer” - I’m leading three zine workshops!

My task for the event was to create a zine workshop, suitable for all ages and skill levels, that could be introduced, explained, and completed in thirty minutes. I created a “pilgrim persona” zine that combines “mad libs” style responses with guided drawing that will invite each participant to think of who they might have been on the pilgrimage.

In the “General Prologue” to the Canterbury Tales, Chaucer tells us a bit about each pilgrim by way of detailing their profession, clothing, good and bad habits, physical characteristics and occasionally comments on their horses. Lank hair, big hats, skinny horses and all! With this in mind, here’s what I came up with:

This is my earlier prototype - I will share the final version after the workshop is done!

But until then: what pilgrim would you be?