Season 9, Episode 12 - J. Susanne Wilson
In this episode of History Through Fiction: The Podcast, host Colin Mustful interviews J. Susanne Wilson, author of The Death and Life of Iphigenia. Wilson shares her inspiration for reimagining the myth of Iphigenia, daughter of Agamemnon, and discusses her journey from academic study to crafting historical fiction. Discover how she blends research, imagination, and personal experience to bring ancient Greece to life, and hear about her path as an independent author, her travels, and what’s next in her myth-inspired series.
About the Author
J. Susanne Wilson earned her B.A. in Ancient Civilizations from the University of Iowa, focusing on the art, religion, history, and languages of ancient Greece and Rome. She has taken writing courses through the Iowa Summer Writing Festival and Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, and regularly attends Off Campus Writers’ Workshop events in Chicago. Her debut novel, The Death and Life of Iphigenia, released in 2025 and was shortlisted for the 2024 Novel London Literary Competition; she also has a short story, Aerope, published on her website. Wilson grew up in Iowa, spent time in San Diego, Minneapolis, and Denver, and now lives in Iowa with her husband and their cat. In addition to writing, she enjoys reading, gardening, hiking, knitting, and kayaking.
Iphigenia's true story lies beneath the songs of the bards and the whispers of Muses…
As Greek warriors prepare for the Trojan War, Mycenaean princess Iphigenia is forced to endure the demands of angry gods and desperate kings. Separated from her mother and sister and exiled to an oppressive foreign land, she is bound by sacred duty to perform grim rituals that stain her hands and haunt her dreams.
Finally, after fourteen long years, she discovers an opportunity to escape and must decide if her longed-for home and stolen life are still worth fighting for.
This is a tale of survival, identity, and the eternal quest for belonging.
