Episode Details

What happens when ancient myths meet modern perspectives? The stories we thought we knew get a whole new life. 

This week on Book Lounge by Libby, Joe sits down with bestselling author Madeline Miller and poet and author Nikita Gill to explore the art of retelling mythology and ancient stories for modern readers. From reimagining legendary figures to finding new meaning in centuries-old tales, we’re diving into why these stories endure, whose voices deserve to be heard and what happens when we look at the ancient world through a contemporary lens. 

Whether you love Greek mythology, mythological fiction, feminist retellings or discovering a fresh perspective on a familiar legend, this episode is for you. 

Two incredible authors. Thousands of years of storytelling. So many reasons to revisit the classics. 

Welcome to Book Lounge by Libby, your favorite corner of the reading world. Powered by libraries. Made for readers. 

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Who’s in this episode:  

• Joe – Instagram 

• Madeline Miller - Links 

• Nikita Gill - Website 

Some of our guests' books: 

• The Song of Achilles – Madeline Miller 

• Circe – Madeline Miller  

• Galatea – Madeline Miller 

• Mestra – Madeline Miller 

• Hekate – Nikita Gill 

• Styx – Nikita Gill 

• Nyx – Nikita Gill 

Time stamps: 
00:00:00 Title 
00:00:20 Welcome to Segment 1 with Madeline Miller 
00:01:30 What is your earliest memory with mythology? 
00:19:35 Writing about mythology doesn’t have a responsibility to history 
00:47:22 Storytelling and connecting to others 
00:55:19 No one has to do homework before reading my books 
01:01:11 Who would play Achilles? 
01:03:28 Welcome Nikita Gill! 
01:04:44 What was your introduction to mythology? 
01:24:54 How do you tell your stories? 
01:33:04 Americans can be so optimistic 
01:41:30 Nikita’s advice to young writers 
01:48:50 Comment question of the day 
01:49:32 Outro 

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