Hag-seed

In Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood, Shakespeare’s The Tempest is reshaped into a sharp, big-hearted work of literary fiction that’s as playful as it is piercing. Part of the Shakespeare Retold series, it blends theatre, grief and revenge with Atwood’s trademark wit and control.

Felix, once the dazzling director of a prestigious festival, is abruptly pushed out and retreats into lonely exile, carrying the ache of his lost daughter, Miranda. Years later, a teaching gig running a theatre program inside a prison offers him an unexpected stage: a production of *The Tempest* built with inmate actors, and a chance to draw his enemies close enough to trap. As rehearsals gather momentum, the story asks what “revenge” really costs—and what art can mend.

Perfect for readers who love Shakespeare adaptations, prison-set novels, and character-driven stories about second chances.

Step backstage and see what Atwood conjures.