The Fairy Tales of Jim Henson: Keeping the best place by the fire presents a chronological overview of Henson’s influential career, from the 1950s through to his death in 1990.
Dr Wright, a film studies expert and senior lecturer at Edge Hill University, assesses his enduring legacy, boldly claiming that his brilliant creativity has been significantly underestimated as a key player in the evolution of screen fairy tales.
A book launch will be held at Edge Hill University Arts Centre on Wednesday 18 February. As part of the launch Andrea will be sharing a video from Karen Falk, the Director of The Jim Henson Company Archive, talking about the work Andrea and the company have done together.
Andrea said: “I really believe that Jim Henson was far more important to the screen fairy tale than has previously been explored.
“All my life I have been exposed to and loved Henson’s work, from The Muppet Show and Sesame Street to the movies and I want to recognise and celebrate his unique contribution to the fairy tale.
“Henson was a genius at sparking the viewer’s imagination and mixing, sometimes even subverting, classic fairy tale tropes with inventive design and cutting-edge tech.”
Dr Wright’s book stands out as the first comprehensive study to fully re-evaluate Henson’s career through the lens of fairy tales and challenges the notion that Disney is the only major creative force in the genre.
She was given access to materials from the private Jim Henson Company Archives to explore his distinctive methods. This allowed Dr Wright to look at letters, sketches, doodles, plans and scripts which gave unique insights into the creative processes that went on behind the scenes.
“While writing my PHD on 1980s screen fairy tales, I got in touch with The Jim Henson Company Archives and they sent me some information about The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth.
“Some years later I got in touch with them again and asked if I would be able to visit to help me write the book and I was thrilled when the Henson family gave me permission to do so.”
Labyrinth turns 40 this year and Andrea recently attended the Labyrinth Experience, an exclusive masked ball in London, where met fans and signed the new book for them.
She also hosted a short presentation about her research and book, describing the experience as the “highlight of the year”.
“I really want people to think about Jim Henson and his work a bit differently,” she added. “When people talk about screen fairy tales over the last century, the discussion has been dominated by Disney.
“While I don’t dispute Disney’s importance and reach, I want people to recognise that Jim Henson gave us many of the most witty, inventive and creative examples of fairy tales of the era.”
The official launch of The Fairy Tales of Jim Henson will be held at Edge Hill University Arts Centre on Wednesday 18 February, 7pm. Entry is free, booking is required and all are welcome.
Find out more about studying Film or Creative Writing at Edge Hill University.
January 29, 2026
