Madeline Miller

Madeline Miller, best known for her bestselling ancient Greek epic tale Circe, is one of today’s most celebrated fantasy authors. Her writing has earned her multiple awards, including the prestigious Orange Prize for Fiction, and spots on multiple bestseller lists. Drawing from mythology, history, and her own imagination, Miller’s beautiful storytelling creates narratives that transport readers to mythic and historical worlds.

Miller was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and earned her undergraduate degree from Brown University. She then pursued an MA in Latin from the University of Chicago, before working as a Latin and Greek teacher at the Athenian School in California.

Miller entered the world of fiction with her debut novel The Song of Achilles, which tells the story of the Greek hero Achilles, who is famously featured in Homer’s Iliad. In this reimagined story, Miller explored themes of love, loyalty, and tragedy as readers become invested in the emotional journey endured by these two star-crossed lovers. In her brilliant writing style, Miller managed to make an old tale relevant to a contemporary audience, and the novel was widely praised by readers and critics alike.

Her follow-up novel, Circe, is an enticing continuation of the Greek mythological genre, this time revolving around Circe, a witch featured in Homer’s Odyssey. In this novel, Miller takes her readers on an adventure through Circe’s unique family history and explores the themes of power, identity, and love. This novel was particularly praised for its non-traditional approach to female characters, as Miller gave unique and powerful voices to the women in her narrative.

Both books were widely praised, and won multiple awards, including the Orange Prize for Fiction, the Southern Indie Booksellers Alliance Award for Fiction, and the Lambda Literary Award for LGBT Fiction for The Song of Achilles, and the Audie Award for Best Fantasy Audiobook and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction for Circe. Her books have also featured in multiple bestseller lists, including The New York Times Originals and USA Today lists.

Miller also has some exciting projects in the pipeline, as she has recently signed with Little, Brown to write a series of four middle grade books. This series will be a re-working of the myth of Circe, featuring the beloved characters from Miller’s first book and narrated by Circe’s daughter Telegonus. The first book in the series is set to be released in 2021.

At a time when fantasy and ancient mythology themed novels are becoming more popular, Miller stands out as one of the most acclaimed fantasy authors writing today. Her beautifully written novels not only bring ancient characters to life, but explore many important themes in a way that captivates modern readers. With more exciting projects in the pipeline, Miller is sure to continue to break boundaries with her writing and further impress the literary world.