Weight: The Myth of Atlas and Heracles

The series that began in October with Karen Armstrong's compelling A Short History of Myth continues, with electrifying new works of fiction from two of the world's most loved writers.

In reference to her reworking of the tale of Atlas, Jeanette Winterson commented that, 'When I was asked to choose a myth to write about, I realized I had chosen already. The story of Atlas holding up the world was in my mind before the telephone call had ended. If the call had not come, perhaps I would never have written the story, but when the call did come, that story was waiting to be written. Re-written.'