Sally Magnusson on Myth, Memory and Imagination


In this episode of How You Find Your Voice, host Jessie Huth is joined by best-selling novelist, journalist and broadcaster Sally Magnusson MBE, to talk about myth, memory, and the creative courage it takes to begin again. Sally’s latest novel, The Shapeshifter’s Daughter, reimagines the Norse mythological figure of Hel, ruler of the underworld, a character long caricatured as monstrous and rarely allowed a voice of her own. Together, Jessie and Sally explore why the Norse goddesses deserve their time in the limelight, how feminist retellings can reclaim silenced figures, and what myth can teach us about death, ageing, and becoming. They also talk about memory as both a personal and cultural force, Sally’s move into fiction later in life, and the imaginative leap required to trust your own voice, especially after decades spent telling other people’s stories.   Topics covered Why Sally was drawn to the Norse figure of Hel Feminist myth retellings and reclaiming silenced voices Norse mythology vs Greek mythology Memory, storytelling and cultural inheritance Writing fiction later in life and why creativity has no expiry date The courage to leap into imagination and inhabit characters fully Holding light and darkness together in art and life. Keywords How You Find Your Voice, Sally Magnusson, Norse mythology, Hel, feminist retellings, myth and memory, creativity in midlife, women’s voices, storytelling, fiction writing, imagination   About the guest 
Sally Magnusson MBE is a novelist, journalist and broadcaster. She is the author of several acclaimed novels including The Seal Woman’s Gift, Music in the Dark, and The Shapeshifter’s Daughter, as well as the memoir, Where Memories Go, written after caring for her mother through dementia. Her work frequently explores myth, memory, identity and the stories that shape us. You can read more about Sally Magnusson and her work here.