A timely and original retelling of the myth of Hekate, the Greek goddess of witches and necromancy, for fans of Madeline Miller, Jennifer Saint and Elizabeth Acevedo.
Hekate sings the story of its eponymous heroine. Born into a world on fire and at war, she and her mother are abandoned by the menfolk of their Titan family who must head into battle against the new Gods, the Olympians. Tragedy ensues when Hekate and her mother are forced to flee their home as the Olympians overpower and enslave the Titans, including Hekate’s father, Perses, and gain dominion over the universe. It is a bitter civil war. In a bid to protect Hekate from the clutches of Zeus and Poseidon, her mother leaves her in the underworld with the goddess Styx and king of the underworld, Hades, where she must make a life for herself and discover her divine purpose. Here begins Nikita Gill’s beautiful and propulsive reimagining of Hekate’s myth which unfolds into a coming-of-age adventure story and quest in which our young protagonist – not yet a goddess – sets out to discover what has happened to her parents, heal from the trauma of her separation from them, make a new home for herself in the underworld, and, eventually, step into her true power as a woman and goddess, before it’s too late.
Nikita Gill is an Irish-Indian poet who has the attention of nearly 800,000 Instagram followers worldwide. Her work offers a shift of perspective which centres women in both Greek and Hindu myth as well as folklore. She has given a TEDx Talk, spoken at every major literary festival in the UK and been shortlisted for the Goodreads Choice Award in poetry three times, the Childrens Poetry Award two times and longlisted for the Jhalak Prize. Gill has written seven poetry collections and two verse novels. Her book of fables for children Animal Tales from India and her newest verse novel for Doctor Who were both out in October 2023.
<aside> <img src="/icons/fire_yellow.svg" alt="/icons/fire_yellow.svg" width="40px" /> “Absolutely beautiful and soul-enhancing poems.” Matt Haig, author of The Midnight Library
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<aside> <img src="/icons/fire_yellow.svg" alt="/icons/fire_yellow.svg" width="40px" /> “Gill’s poetry excels in its exploration of womanhood.” - The Independent
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<aside> <img src="/icons/fire_yellow.svg" alt="/icons/fire_yellow.svg" width="40px" /> “One of the most exciting young writers working today.” - The Stylist
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<aside> <img src="/icons/fire_yellow.svg" alt="/icons/fire_yellow.svg" width="40px" /> “Nikita’s words are as powerful as they are beautiful. Her poems mix ideas that are both ancient and timeless, and she makes them urgent. Her voice is one of the most compelling, compassionate and creative in contemporary literature. She’s the writer we all need to read right now - she’s challenging a fearful era with real love.” - Daisy Buchanan, author of How to Be a Grown Up
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Extent: 351 pages
UK Publisher: Simon & Schuster (2025)
US Publisher: Little, Brown for Young Readers
Primary Agent: Nicola Chang
Film/ TV agent: DHA (Clare Israel)
Rights sold: All rights available
Co-agents: Chinese Bardon Chinese Media; Japanese Japan Uni