Hero or Villain? These archetypal characters are the stock-in-trade of the fantasy genre, and so you’ll definitely enjoy this newest poetry anthology compiled by Ana Sampson, an experienced curator of poetry collections, and illustrated by the instantly recognizable pencil of Chris Riddell, multi-award-winning illustrator and former UK Children's Laureate.

Today on Mythmakers, in conversation with Julia Golding, Ana and Chris journey through history and genres, unearthing the gems. They reflect on the poems that inspired them as children, the role of compendiums in nurturing the artistic imagination, and why different approaches are often used to tell the same tale. They also explore the influence of politics on the anthology—and vice versa, and so much more. And if that wasn’t enough, Chris treats us to a live dragon sketch while several poems are read aloud—making this a truly unmissable episode!

Their book, Heroes and Villains: Poems about Legends (Macmillan), is available for purchase now. Credits for the poems read in full are: 'Nan Hardwicke Turns into a Hare' by Wendy Pratt, 'St Margaret of Antioch Speaks' by Jan Dean, 'If...' by James Carter, and 'The Dragons are Hiding' by Brian Moses.

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0:10 Welcome to Mythmakers

1:32 Childhood Poems That Shaped Us

5:27 The Lady of Shalott and Lockdown

10:15 The Role of Poetry Anthologies

12:05 Creating the Heroes and Villains Anthology

16:40 Exploring Heroes and Villains Through Poetry

20:2Research Gems in Poetry

36:19 Creative Tips for Aspiring Writers

39:04 Contemporary Issues in Fantasy

43:01 Collaborating with Publishers

46:56 The Intersection of Politics and Fantasy

52:46 Closing Thoughts and Inspiration