Journalist and editor Ailbhe Malone has gathered some of Ireland’s finest contemporary female voices for BANSHEE, a spellbinding anthology of original short stories which breathes new life into ancient Irish myths. Christina Demosthenous, former Publisher at Renegade Books, won UK and Commonwealth rights at auction from Juliet Pickering, with editor Abigail Scruby overseeing publication following Christina’s departure. With a bespoke, striking cover designed by artist Aoife Cawley, BANSHEE will be published in hardback, eBook and audio on 26 February 2026.

BANSHEE seeks to reclaim the stories of women who have too long stood in the shadows of warriors and kings. Transporting you to treacherous landscapes and salt-crashing seas, generational curses and mystical islands, in BANSHEE you'll find unruly mothers, rule-breaking queens, defiant mermaids and women outrunning their destiny – stories pulsing with desire, danger and defiance.

With contributions from every corner of Irish literature, BANSHEE features luminous retellings by Jane Casey, Naoise Dolan, Salma El-Wardany, Wendy Erskine, Nikita Gill, Anne Griffin, Sarah Maria Griffin, Jess Kidd, Megan Nolan and Sheila O'Flanagan.

‘An anthology felt like the only way to do this project justice,’ said Ailbhe Malone. ‘I was blown away by the response from authors who wanted to participate, and the end result is thrilling, fresh, and compulsively readable. I'm beyond thrilled to be working with JMP, and February 2026 cannot come soon enough.’

‘From the early days of the seanchaí to today, myth and legend has been an inseparable part of Irish culture,’ added Abigail Scruby. ‘The stories in BANSHEE, by some of our finest contemporary writers, are witty, dark and exhilarating, revealing the richness of Irish mythology, while also giving the heroines their long-awaited dues.’

Juliet Pickering said: ‘It was clear that the omission of Irish stories was a huge gap in our mythology publishing, and when Ailbhe suggested the idea for this anthology it was irresistible. We have an incredible line up of authors and their retellings are wonderfully surprising, compelling and long overdue. We're proud to bring these women back into the limelight and celebrate their legacies.’

About Ailbhe Malone

Ailbhe Malone is Senior Editor at the Strategist (New York Magazine). She has also worked for the Guardian, Irish Times, Wired and Nylon (US). Educated at Trinity College Dublin, Ailbhe spent summers in the west of Ireland, surrounded by the foundations of legends featured in this collection. From learning about the salmon of knowledge from a seanchaí to reading Sinéad de Valera's Irish Fairy Tales under the covers at night, she gobbled up every variant of folktale she could find.

Ailbhe is also the author of two self-care books: 101 TINY CHANGES TO BRIGHTEN YOUR DAY (Icon Books, 2018), and 101 TINY CHANGES TO BRIGHTEN YOUR WORLD (Icon Books, 2019).

Praise for BANSHEE

‘I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed it. I was immersed in it. A mystical, magical, empowering modern re-imagining of the Irish Goddesses. A unique and compelling read, I LOVED these superb stories.’ – Patricia Scanlan

‘Sharply-written and urgent, BANSHEE conjures a dazzlingly modern mythology of our oldest stories, richly imagined by the very best of Irish writers. I loved every page.’ – Doireann Ní Ghríofa