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Female-focused reimaginings of ancient myths, historic narratives and classic novels are still a major literary trend. Here are six new titles to put on your reading list for 2023.
Stories have always been reworked and reimagined: that’s how folk tales and legends came into being. But in recent years, explicitly feminist retellings of well-known narratives have become a key literary trend, transforming everything from Greek myth to fairy tales into novels where women’s voices and choices are at the heart of the action.
The trend shows no sign of slowing down in 2023, and it’s not just ancient myths that are being given a new lease of life: classic fiction and little-known stories of women from history are also being retold with a feminist slant.
These retellings aren’t always based on stories in which women were side-lined or silenced (this year sees a reworking of Pride And Prejudice, and Jane Austen could hardly be described as an author who didn’t prioritise female characters). But they do all offer fresh, exciting and powerful takes on plots that are buried deep in our cultural consciousness.
Here are six that we’re especially excited about.
Lady MacBethad by Isabelle Schuler
You may not have heard of Gruoch ingen Boite, but you’ll certainly know the character she inspired: Lady Macbeth. The life of the 11th century Scottish queen is shrouded in mystery and historical debate, but in this debut novel (out now), London-based author Schuler reworks her story into a gripping, darkly atmospheric tale that captures the beauty and brutality of life in medieval Scotland.
Shop Lady MacBethad by Isabelle Schuler (Raven Books) at Bookshop.org, £14.99
The Sisterhood by Katherine Bradley
Based on Nineteen Eighty-Four, this feminist retelling (out now) imagines what would have happened if the women in George Orwell’s classic dystopian novel had formed their own underground movement. Known as The Sisterhood, these women are working to find members of The Brotherhood – a shadowy anti-government vigilante group – in the hope of helping them overthrow Big Brother. But when protagonist Julia finally meets Winston Smith, the central character in Orwell’s novel, everything changes…
Shop The Sisterhood by Katherine Bradley (Simon & Schuster) at Bookshop.org, £16.99
Our Hideous Progeny by CE McGill
Frankenstein author Mary Shelley lived a creative, boundary-pushing life at a time when that was far from the norm for most women. But her most famous work is distinctly lacking in vibrant, active female characters – something many critics have seen as a comment on traditional gender roles in 19th century England. In this gothic adventure (out 4 May), debut novelist McGill builds on Shelley’s iconic story by adding sharp-minded female protagonist Mary, who sets out to discover the truth about her great-uncle Victor Frankenstein’s disappearance in the Arctic.
Pre-order Our Hideous Progeny by CE McGill (Doubleday) at Bookshop.org, £16.99
Herc by Phoenicia Rogerson
Who put the glad in gladiator? Disney might have made Hercules the hero of its 1997 adaptation, but he’s very much a side character in Rogerson’s debut novel (out 31 August). Billed as a “feminist, queer (and sometimes shocking) retelling” of the classic Greek myth, it focuses on Hercules’ friends, relatives, lovers and enemies – including his knife-wielding mother, Alcmene, long-suffering first wife, Megara, and old ‘friend’ Hylas.
Pre-order Herc by Phoenicia Rogerson (HQ) at Bookshop.org, £14.99
The Scandalous Confessions Of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melinda Taub
In Pride And Prejudice, proto-feminist Jane Austen offered an incisive interrogation of middle-class women’s role in society. Taub’s redemptive novel (out 3 October) reworks Austen’s novel into something far more fantastical, transforming the reckless and narcissistic youngest Bennet sister Lydia into a witch who’s doing her best to hide and control her powers. Unfortunately, Lydia isn’t the only person around with supernatural abilities. And do you think George Wickham will use his for good?
Lilith by Nikki Marmery
In Mesopotamian and Judaic mythology, Lilith – the ultimate she-demon – was banished from the Garden of Eden because she refused to obey Adam’s orders, which seems more than a little unfair. Marmery takes the legendary Lilith and turns her into a furious feminist heroine in this novel (out 9 October). Equipped with wisdom after tasting from the Tree of Knowledge, Lilith hatches a plan to rescue her replacement, Eve, from Adam’s control and regain her rightful place in Paradise.
Pre-order Lilith by Nikki Marmery (Legend Press) at Waterstones, £16.99
Images: courtesy of publishers
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