Georgia Leighton on feminist retellings and Spellbound

We always love feminist retellings, and Sleeping Beauty is one of our favourites. Hence, we are very excited when we knew about Spellbound, the debut novel from Georgia Leighton, which explores if Beauty never went to sleep.

To celebrate the release of Spellbound, we asked Georgia this question: what makes a retelling a feminist one?

This guest post is written by Georgia Leighton, author of Spellbound.

Retellings are having a major moment lately in books, film and TV, and it’s easy to see why – they’re thrilling, brutal and packed with adventure. These stories have been around forever, but a lot of the traditional versions come with some outdated ideas about gender roles. Modern retellings shake things up, flipping those traditional narratives on their heads and giving them a fresh, feminist twist. But making a retelling feminist isn’t just about swapping a damsel in distress for a badass warrior princess — it’s about digging deeper into the way these stories shape ideas about power, choice, and identity.

It might seem empowering to have a princess saving the prince instead of waiting around for a rescue, but that alone doesn’t make a story feminist. A truly feminist retelling challenges the very ideas that created the whole “damsel in distress” trope in the first place. It’s not just about giving female characters swords—it’s about giving them depth, agency, and real choices that shape their own destinies.

Feminist retellings create female characters who are complex, flawed, and multidimensional. Strength isn’t just about wielding a weapon—it can also be about intelligence, resilience, kindness, or strategy. A princess who chooses to be a healer, a diplomat, or a scientist is just as powerful as one who becomes a warrior. The key is that she gets to make that choice herself.

One of the biggest issues with these traditional tales is that they strip female characters of their agency. Snow White literally gets stuck in a glass coffin. Sleeping Beauty is cursed to sleep until a prince wakes her up. Cinderella’s entire life changes thanks to a glass shoe. In all these cases, the heroines aren’t really making their own decisions; things just kind of happen to them. Feminist retellings fix this by giving female characters control over their own stories. They don’t have to reject romance or femininity to be strong, but their journeys are shaped by their own choices—not just by fate or external forces.

For example, Cinderella might leave her toxic home on her own terms instead of waiting for a prince to swoop in and save her. Maybe she still falls in love, but it’s a relationship built on equality, where both characters have their own ambitions and goals. Love is great, but it shouldn’t be the only thing that defines a woman’s worth.

Classic fairytales often treat marriage as the ultimate “happily ever after.” While there’s nothing wrong with a love story, a feminist retelling acknowledges that a woman’s journey doesn’t have to end with finding a prince. Instead, these stories explore themes like self-discovery, friendship, ambition, and personal growth. A happy ending can mean chasing a dream, building a community, or simply embracing who you are.

Another common fairytale trope is the idea that women are always in competition with each other. Stepmothers and witches are portrayed as evil, as if women can only succeed by tearing each other down. Instead of sticking to that tired dynamic, feminist retellings explore why these so-called villains act the way they do. Maybe the wicked stepmother is just trying to survive in a harsh world, or the witch is actually a wise woman defying unfair rules. By creating stories that highlight female friendship, mentorship, and solidarity, these retellings push back against the outdated idea that women are natural enemies.

Ultimately, a feminist retelling isn’t just about making the princess tougher or swapping out the prince for a sword. It’s about rethinking the whole framework of these stories—giving female characters real agency, questioning outdated gender roles, and expanding the definition of what a happy ending can be. By doing this, we create fairytales that feel fresh, empowering, and reflective of the diverse, complicated, and inspiring lives of real women. Isn’t that the kind of story we all deserve?

Spellbound by Georgia Leighton is out now.