Classic Tales and Modern Myths Kamila Shamsie and Ali Smith

Acclaimed writer Kamila Shamsie is the Orange and Baileys Prize-shortlisted author of Burnt Shadows and A God in Every Stone. Her latest novel, Home Fire, is a contemporary reimagining of Sophocles’ Antigone. Set against the backdrop of contemporary London, it’s a compelling story of loyalties torn apart when love and politics collide.

Ali Smith’s books have won and been shortlisted for many awards, including the Bristol Festival of Ideas Best Book 2013 for Artful. Smith has long been interested in how classic tales and myths can influence today’s storytellers. Her novel Girl Meets Boy (2007) is a modern re-telling of Ovid’s Iphis and Iantheis and her love of Antigone led her to re-imagine the Greek play as a beautiful picture book for children.

Image credit: Kamila Shamsie by Zain Mustafa.