Claire Heywood is a scholar of the ancient world, having gained a 1st Class BA in Classical Civilisation and an MA with Distinction in Ancient Visual and Material Culture, along with two academic prizes, from the University of Warwick.

Her writing is inspired by her love of Greek mythology, her knowledge of ancient cultures, and her fascination with women’s forgotten voices.

Her first novel, Daughters of Sparta, is a vivid retelling of the Trojan War from the perspective of two key female characters, Helen of Troy and her sister Klytemnestra. Her second novel, The Shadow of Perseus, reimagines the heroic legend of Perseus through the eyes of his mother, Danae, his trophy, Medusa, and his wife, Andromeda.

Formerly a professional tour guide at the Roman Baths museum in Bath, she now writes full time and lives in Bristol.

You can find her on Instagram @claireheywoodauthor and Twitter @ClaireEHeywood