1. What drew you to writing/working with Classical Antiquity and what challenges did you face in selecting, representing, or adapting particular myths or stories?

My book Sephy’s Story was commissioned by an educational publisher, for a series for children about Greek Myths. I was able to choose which myth to retell, and so I chose one I have always loved, about Persephone, a story of renewal, about the coming of spring and why we have winter. The challenge was how to tell this story in a way that was accessible for a very young child, without being too dark or frightening. The most difficult part to adapt was when Pluto "seizes" Persephone. I changed Persephone’s name to Sephy to make her seem more like a contemporary character, for a child reader, and because the name is easier to say/read. I also had to write very succinctly and tell a satisfying story within a prescribed word length, but I was keen to keep to the underlying "truth" or "spirit" and power of the original myth, especially its symbolism of light and dark.

2. Why do you think classical / ancient myths, history, and literature continue to resonate with young audiences?

Well, these stories have lasted this long precisely because they continue to speak to us, and our concerns about the world, about humanity. They deal with universal concerns, and each new generation needs and wants to hear them.  We pass on the stories we ourselves have heard and loved and the ones which have resonance for us. 

3. Do you have a background in classical education (Latin or Greek at school or classes at the University?) What sources are you using? Scholarly work? Wikipedia? Are there any books that made an impact on you in this respect?  

I studied Latin at school up to GCSE level . I didn’t learn Greek. I read the Greek myths in translation. When I was commissioned to tell the myth of Persephone, I read other versions which had been written for children, such as The Orchard Book of Greek Myths retold by Geraldine McCaughrean. I did not look at Wikipedia. 

Prepared by Ayelet Peer, Bar-Ilan University, ayelet.peer@gmail.com