Throughout the first two weeks of January, submissions were open for interpretations (and reinterpretations) of Ancient Greek myths.
We received hundreds of submissions, exploring key heroes and heroines, events and lore around Greek myth and culture, with ancient retellings and modern repositionings. Some of the poets published in this feature are established, with collections, pamphlets, and performance credits. Others are emerging, or haven’t been published before. The variation of voices and experience is exciting, and something we like to encourage at Ink Sweat & Tears. Each poem I read was of an outstanding quality. If you are reading this, and your work isn’t included in this feature, I just wanted to say thank you so much for submitting and fuelling the ecosystem of poetry.
As Ink Sweat & Tears’ Editing Intern, I found it hard to choose between poets. I’m a writer myself, and I never knew before how difficult it is to make a decision between equally talented poets, and equally excellent poems. My least favourite part is saying ‘no’ to people, even if it’s a ‘not this time’. It’s really fun to see how many people out there are passionate about Greek mythology, and how these ancient heroes and heroines have inspired and informed their work.
Over the next five days, there will be threads, mazes, forests, dowries, death, temples, blood, seeds, and birth. It’s needless to say that there is distressing content on some of these days, which may include sexual violence or coercion, so please read with caution.
We hope you enjoy the selection of poets and writers throughout this week, and if you were moved by a particular poem, let us know!
Kayleigh Jayshree