Poet, writer, and Instagram sensation Nikita Gill returns with a collection of fairytales poetically retold for a new generation of women.
Traditional fairytales are rife with cliches and gender stereotypes: beautiful, silent princesses; ugly, jealous, and bitter villainesses; girls who need rescuing; and men who take all the glory.
But in this rousing new prose and poetry collection, Nikita Gill gives Once Upon a Time a much-needed modern makeover. Through her gorgeous reimagining of fairytale classics and spellbinding original tales, she dismantles the old-fashioned tropes that have been ingrained in our minds. In this book, gone are the docile women and male saviors. Instead, lines blur between heroes and villains. You will meet fearless princesses, a new kind of wolf lurking in the concrete jungle, and an independent Gretel who can bring down monsters on her own.
Complete with beautifully hand-drawn illustrations by Gill herself, Fierce Fairytales is an empowering collection of poems and stories for a new generation.
Review
"If you're not already familiar with Gill, you should be. The British-Indian writer has been called "the voice of the generation"--and with 441,000-and-counting followers on Instagram alone, she just might be."―Bustle
"Strikingly relatable.... [Nikita Gill is] one of the most celebrated poets of this generation."―Marie Claire
"Most traditional fairytales suck.... But Nikita Gill's Fierce Fairytales picks apart these old-fashioned tropes and reimagines the classics with a 2018 twist. Because princesses can be fearless, too."―HelloGiggles
"Nikita's writing seamlessly blends entertaining poetic narratives with highly inspirational messages. Her creativity in transforming classic fairytales makes for an engaging read--especially for women. These poems and stories will leave you feeling empowered and wanting to see more work from this incredibly talented writer."―YourTango
About the Author
Nikita Gill is a British-Indian writer and poet living in the south of England. With a huge online following, her words have entranced hearts and minds all over the world.
Publisher Hachette Books (September 11, 2018)
Language English
Paperback 176 pages
ISBN-10 0316420743
ISBN-13 978-0316420747
Item Weight 2.31 pounds
Dimensions 5.13 x 0.5 x 8 inches
Beautifully written collection of fairytale retellings and poems. The cover is beautiful too, but what captured me are the retellings and the poems. They are breathtaking, full of imagery and magic. They are empowering, mostly for women and young girls, but also, sometimes, for men and even monsters.
Strong women are celebrated, encouraged, empowered through Nikita Gill’s words. From the dedication, “For you, who has never forgotten the magic. It wants you to know it remembers you too,” to the last poem, aptly Called “Happily Ever After,” every tale and every poem turn the patriarchy upside down, reversing it back to the oldest form of humanity, the matriarchy, in which the playing field was level and women and men stood side by side in equality and celebration of beauty in strength.
Many times I whispered, “Wow” as I finished a tale in which the dragons were allies, the princesses rescued themselves, the witch was a healer persecuted by cruel townspeople and their children, the monster was only defending itself, and step-mothers were type-cast and victimized by spoiled princesses used to getting their way.
If you love fairytales, if you like reading stories featuring strong women, magic, and karma settling debts, you will love this book. My only criticism is that I wish it were longer.
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