Description
Whether it’s Medusa, the terrifying Gorgon who turned everyone that met her gaze to stone, or the six-headed Scylla of Homer’s Odyssey, the depiction of female characters in mythology leaves a lot to be desired. They’re often either hideous monsters sending sailors to their doom, or evil temptresses luring men to an equally grim fate. But why is this?
Jennifer Saint, author of Atalanta and Elektra, teams up with Nikita Gill, author of The Girl and The Goddess, and Sarah Clegg, whose literary debut Woman’s Lore: 4000 Years of Sirens, Serpents and Succubi was published in the spring, to explore the patriarchal origins of these epic myths. Together they will discuss how a fresh wave of women writers are reimagining ancient tales, freeing the female characters from the shackles of misogyny, and helping to inspire new heroines.
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About the Authors
Jennifer Saint
Thanks to a lifelong fascination with Ancient Greek mythology, Jennifer Saint read Classical Studies at King’s College, London. Since September 2022, she has been a Visiting Research Fellow in the Classics Department there. In between, she spent thirteen years as an English teacher, sharing a love of literature and creative writing with her students. Ariadne is her first novel, Elektra is her second, and Atalanta is her latest mesmerising mythological retelling.
Nikita Gill
Nikita Gill is a writer, artist and graphic designer. Author of Your Soul is a River, Wild Embers and Fierce Fairytales. She is a National Poetry Day ambassador and has published multiple anthologies with poetry based on retelling stories from folklore and mythology.
Sarah Clegg
Sarah Clegg has a PhD in the ancient history of Mesopotamia from Cambridge University, and reads Sumerian, Akkadian, Arabic, Greek and Latin. Her fascination with Lamashtu began with her BA thesis at Oxford and she has been researching these monsters and their demonic tradition as a passion project ever since. Clegg was selected as one of the 2020/21 cohort of the London Library Emerging Writers Programme. She lives in London and works in heritage publishing.
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