The Shakespeare Fiction Podcast

Episode 7: We That Are Young: Language, Power, and the Afterlife of Lear

What happens when King Lear is reimagined through the lens of postcolonial India? In this episode of The Shakesfic Podcast, Koel explores We That Are Young by Preti Taneja—a bold, unsettling adaptation that doesn’t just retell Shakespeare, but actively reshapes him. This is a novel about language, inheritance, and power. Koel looks at how Taneja reworks King Lear through corporate dynasties, fractured narration, and code-switching—and how her version of Sita draws on both Shakespeare and the Ramayana to complicate ideas of silence, endurance, and resistance. Koel also reflects on what it means to inherit Shakespeare as a British Asian writer, and how this novel sits within a wider tradition of adaptation, performance, and cultural negotiation.

Episode 4: Shakespeare at Work: A Review of Jude Morgan’s Novel

Episode title: The Secret Life of William Shakespeare: Biofiction, Work, and Ethical Imagination Episode description: What do we do with the silences in Shakespeare’s life? In this episode of Shakesfic, I explore Jude Morgan’s The Secret Life of William Shakespeare as an example of Shakespeare biofiction at its most restrained and plausible. Rather than scandal or conspiracy, Morgan offers a Shakespeare shaped by work, collaboration, ambition, and emotional reserve. The episode considers biofiction as a genre, the ethics of imagining real historical lives, and what novels like this reveal about how we think about creativity, labour, and authorship today.

Episode 3: Margaret Atwood’s Hag-Seed and the Joy of Talking Back to Shakespeare

In today’s episode, we trade the magic staff for a prison ID badge. We’re doing a deep dive into Margaret Atwood’s 2016 reimagining of The Tempest. We explore how the protagonist, Felix, mirrors the vengeful Prospero and how a group of inmates at a correctional facility find their own voices through the character of Caliban. From the "no-cursing" rule to the haunting presence of a ghostly Miranda, we break down why this is one of the most successful Shakespearean retellings of the century. 📚 Key Themes Discussed * Performance as Therapy: Can Shakespeare actually rehabilitate? * The Power of Language: The "Shakespearean Insults" only rule. * Internal Prisons: Grief as the ultimate "island." * Technology vs. Sorcery: How modern special effects replace Prospero’s staff.

Episode 2: The Sharpest Blade in Brooklyn, Ron Wimberley's The Prince of Cats

Episode Show Notes: The Sharpest Blade in BrooklynThe Main Feature * Title: Prince of Cats * Creator: Ronald Wimberly * Publisher: Image Comics (Original Vertigo release 2012; Image Definitive Edition 2016) * Our Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5 Stars) * Synopsis: A neon-noir, hip-hop infused retelling of Romeo and Juliet focused on Tybalt. Set in an alternate-1980s Brooklyn, the story follows the Capulet crew as they navigate blood feuds, katana duels, and the frantic energy of the underground. Immersion Recommendations: The "Vibe" Kit 1. The Visual Companion: Romeo + Juliet (1996 Film) * Directed by: Baz Luhrmann * Why it fits: The ultimate 90s "hyper-visual" Shakespeare. If Wimberly’s book is the soul of the remix, Luhrmann’s film is the heartbeat. * Watch on Max/Amazon [https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/william-shakespeares-romeo-juliet] 2. The Non-Fiction Deep Dive: Can’t Stop Won’t Stop * Author: Jeff Chang * The Connection: To understand the "Duelist" culture in Prince of Cats, you must understand the history of the South Bronx and Brooklyn. Chang’s book provides the essential history of how hip-hop emerged as a response to urban neglect. * Learn more at JeffChang.net [http://cantstopwontstop.com/] Sources & Literary AnalysisInterview: Ronald Wimberly on the "Remix" Culture [https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.tcj.com/the-ronald-wimberly-interview/] – An in-depth conversation with The Comics Journal about the intersection of race, art, and Shakespeare. * * The Origin of "The Prince of Cats" [https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/shakespedia/shakespeares-characters/tybalt/] – A breakdown from the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust on the fables that inspired Tybalt’s nickname. * Anatomy of a Duel: The Italian School of Fence [https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/fenc/hd_fenc.htm] – A look at the 16th-century fencing manuals that Wimberly translates into 80s katana combat. * The Art of Ronald Wimberly [https://ronaldwimberly.com/] – The author's official site featuring more of his jagged, high-energy character designs.

Episode 1: Blood, Brass, and Silk: Chloe Gong's Secret Shanghai Duology

Episode Show Notes Featured Book Title: These Violent Delights & Our Violent Ends (Secret Shanghai Duology) Author: Chloe Gong Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books (November 17, 2020) Synopsis: In 1926 Shanghai, the heirs of two rival gangs—the Scarlet Gang and the White Flowers—must set aside their blood feud to stop a mysterious madness and a monster rising from the Huangpu River. Recommended Reading: Shanghai: The Rise and Fall of a Decadent City by Stella Dong Recommended Viewing: Lust, Caution (2007), directed by Ang LeeSources & Inspiration 1. Author Interviews & Inspiration * Asian Review of Books Podcast: Chloe Gong [https://asianreviewofbooks.com/arb-podcast-with-chloe-gong-author-of-these-violent-delights/] – Chloe discusses the "unintended parallels" between her fictional plague and the 2020 pandemic. * F(r)iction Interview: Setting the Atmosphere [https://frictionlit.org/these-violent-delights-an-interview-with-chloe-gong/] – A look at how Gong used primary sources to rebuild 1920s Shanghai. * The Book Smugglers: A Love Letter to Shanghai [https://www.thebooksmugglers.com/2021/06/these-violent-delights-a-chat-with-chloe-gong.html] – Gong explores the intersection of AAPI identity, colonialism, and genre fiction. 2. Historical Context: 1920s Shanghai * The Green Gang (Qing Bang) [https://www.britannica.com/topic/Green-Gang] – The real-world inspiration for the Scarlet Gang and the criminal underworld of Old Shanghai. * The 1910 Manchurian Plague [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7216122/] – A historical reference point for "The Madness" in the novel, demonstrating how plague and politics have always intertwined in Chinese history. 3. Literary Analysis * Romeo and Juliet: The Five Act Structure [https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/shakespedia/shakespeares-plays/romeo-and-juliet/] – Background on the Shakespearean tragedy that serves as the blueprint for Roma and Juliette’s story. * Imperialism as Infection [https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/cambridge-companion-to-postcolonial-literary-studies/colonialism-and-the-politics-of-postcolonial-critique/997A7C0B7A6C1C1F6E4D0C5B3E6B6C1C] – An academic look at how literature uses disease as a metaphor for colonial occupation.