Heroes, eh? Many of us are familiar with the hero of Jason and the Argonauts – the clue’s in the name. Just as male superheroes abound in contemporary popular culture, so too in classical Greek mythology. This is one of the reasons why Atalanta, Jennifer Saint’s new novel and third to rework a Greek myth from a feminist perspective, is so exciting. Narrated in Atalanta’s own voice, it brings to life a barely-known heroine from Greek mythology – the sole woman amongst the Argonauts and a person who could outrun, and outhunt, any challenger.
The fact that Atalanta is so little-known was what piqued Jennifer’s interest.
‘I’ve written about much better-known women but so few people knew Atalanta’s name,’ she says.’ Everyone knows Jason and the Argonauts. In one account Atalanta is given a spear and I was really fascinated by that, but there isn’t a definitive version. I like the idea that she is in some versions of the story, and the idea that I could come and write her back in.’
began life after Jennifer had completed a first draft of her second novel, ‘I had a six-week break and it coincided with NaNoRiMo so that November 2020 I decided I’d write a different short story every day, a mini myth cycle,’ she says. ‘I
