These Great Athenians
Retold Passages for Seldom Heard Voices
Age 14+
History & The Past: General Interest
Carter’s fierce debut gives voice to the mostly forgotten and maligned female characters of Homer’s epic The Odyssey. It is a celebratory ode to those who survive within and outside of gender norms.
Faithful Penelope waits for her husband’s return as she weaves a shroud that foretells her doom, Scylla once a beautiful nymph turned monster prowls the seas hungry for flesh, while the witch Circe falls for a man who will leave her. Weaving together their stories and poetic voices, this subtly moving and playful verse novel questions how do those without a voice find freedom within the world of men?
Creators
Valentine Carter grew up in a small village, escaped to the capital and now lives by the sea. They recently completed an MA in creative writing at Birkbeck, University of London, where they are now studying for a PhD. Valentine has short fiction published by The Fiction Pool, Bandit Fiction, In Yer Ear and The Mechanics’ Institute Review:Issue 15 and Issue 16, and poetry published by Perverse and Visual Verse.
