My short story ‘How Now, Ophelia?‘ is officially published! It landed with the amazing A Coup of Owls, in their Summer 2024 edition, and I couldn’t be more excited to share it with you.
Shakespeare has fascinated me from a young age. I first read King Lear when I was 11. I had no real idea what was going on, but I loved the music of the language. From the first read/watch (I believe it was Kenneth Branaugh’s movie version), though, Hamlet has been a particular favorite of mine. The story is unflinchingly dark, twisty, and exciting, with murders, ghosts, mental illness, and an analysis of suicide so compelling that the first phrase (“To be or not to be”) is universally familiar. The title role often serves as a measuring stick for actors: Laurence Olivier, (the disgraced) Mel Gibson, Kenneth Branaugh, David Tennant, Benedict Cumberbatch, all of whose Hamlet’s I’ve seen. There’s an Andrew Scott somewhere that I’ve been meaning to track down.
The thing about Hamlet, though, is that he never really makes any decision about the task his ghost father assigns him. His indecision is maybe relatable, but it also ends up taking down the entire monarchy, along with himself. A lot of other people end up being collateral, too, his once-lover Ophelia one of them.
My new short story ‘How Now, Ophelia?‘ is the feminist Shakespeare retelling and ending Ophelia deserves. It was also a joyous experiment in jamming in as many Hamlet quotes as possible. (Can you spot them all??)
Trapped in an endlessly repeating cycle of events, Ophelia decides to save herself by taking someone else’s part: Hamlet’s.
I do hope you check it out! And if you do, let me know what you thought. ❤
Allison Wall 