Banshee: Mythological Irish Women Retold – A Revival of Storytelling Tradition
- Ailbhe Malone has edited a new short story anthology titled Banshee: Mythological Irish Women Retold, which seeks to reimagine ancient Irish myths through contemporary female perspectives.
- Published on February 5, 2026, by Hodder & Stoughton and John Murray, the 320-page fiction volume is available at a guideline price of £22.
- The anthology is built around a specific editorial brief provided by Malone to the contributing writers.
Ailbhe Malone has edited a new short story anthology titled Banshee: Mythological Irish Women Retold
, which seeks to reimagine ancient Irish myths through contemporary female perspectives. The collection focuses on reclaiming the narratives of women who historically occupied the shadows of kings and warriors.
Published on February 5, 2026, by Hodder & Stoughton and John Murray, the 320-page fiction volume is available at a guideline price of £22. The work is identified by ISBN-13 978-1408749357.
Editorial Vision and Narrative Shift
The anthology is built around a specific editorial brief provided by Malone to the contributing writers. The goal was to shift the structural role of female characters within traditional folklore.
Rewrite these legends so that women are the fulcrums of the stories rather than the levers.
Ailbhe Malone
By repositioning these characters, the collection aims to breathe new life into ancient myths and highlight the evolving nature of the Irish storytelling tradition.
Modern and Traditional Settings
The stories in the collection vary in tone and setting, blending traditional folkloric elements with modern realities. Some narratives maintain an archetypal or cosmic feel, transporting readers to mystical islands and treacherous landscapes.
Other stories transplant well-known mythological figures into 21st-century contexts. These include scenes of urban struggle and the environment of a mother and baby home managed by a paedophile priest.
The anthology features several prominent figures from Irish myth, including:
- Macha, the horse goddess
- Deirdre of the Sorrows
- Aoife, the woman who cursed the Children of Lir
Contributing Authors
The collection features stories from a group of established female writers, including Sunday Times bestselling authors and award-winning novelists. The contributors are:
- Jane Casey
- Naoise Dolan
- Salma El-Wardany
- Wendy Erskine
- Nikita Gill
- Anne Griffin
- Sarah Maria Griffin
- Jess Kidd
- Megan Nolan
- Sheila O’Flanagan
The resulting work is described as a varied collection that ranges from surreal satire and poetic beauty to horror and righteous indignation.