Nikita Gill: An Overlooked Goddess & The Weight Of Being The Eldest Daughter

David sits down with bestselling poet and playwright Nikita Gill as she prepares for the release of Styx: The River, the latest novel in her epic reimagining of Greek mythology.Nikita reveals why she was drawn to Styx: a powerful goddess eclipsed by her thousands of siblings, whose story allowed her to explore the very modern pressures of being an eldest daughter. From carrying everyone else’s burdens to swallowing your own rage and longing to be truly seen, Nikita explains the experiences that shaped her version of the goddess, and why Styx ultimately became a love story about sisterhood, chosen family and finding your place in the world.She also takes David back to where the series began, with the extraordinary origins of Hekate: a story that first appeared to her as a recurring dream and refused to leave her alone until she wrote it. Nikita reveals why she scrapped her first attempt and started again in verse, why she begins her stories with the ending and works backwards, and what drives her to bring mythology’s overlooked women to the centre of their own stories.Plus, Nikita shares what it’s been like taking her bestseller Hekate from page to stage, before revealing what’s on her collector shelf.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.