From Ovid’s serpentine Medusa to the Tataka of the Ramayana, and the six-headed, twelve-legged Scylla of Homer’s Odyssey, an uncomfortably high number of mythology’s villains are written as women. But why, and was this always the case?

Acclaimed authors Jennifer Saint (Elektra), Susan Stokes-Chapman (Pandora), Claire Heywood (Daughters of Sparta), and Nikita Gill (Great Goddesses; The Girl and The Goddess) join forces to explore the patriarchal origins of these epic myths and discuss how new generations of female fantasy authors are reimagining ancient myths and legends by introducing inspiring new heroines, across cultures, to subvert the legacy of mythological misogyny. Our panellists will also talk about the enduring inspiration provided by these ancient tales.