Sun Horse, Moon Horse
A new book + an Oxford event this month!
This month, the beautiful indie publisher Manderley Press has released their latest title - and I’m honoured to say that I wrote the introduction!
Founded by literary superqueen Rebeka Russell, Manderley specialises in new editions of old, forgotten gems - stories from the last few decades that deserve a new lease of life.
Their latest is Sun Horse, Moon Horse, originally published by the late, great Rosemary Sutcliff in 1977.
Sun Horse, Moon Horse is a captivating tale of courage and destiny, set against the ancient hills of Iron Age Britain.
Originally written as a children’s book but perfect for all ages, Sutcliff weaves history and legend into a poignant narrative that resonates through the ages.
As tensions mount between his tribe and encroaching invaders, Lubrin Dhu, the young chieftain of the Iceni tribe, carves the iconic chalk horse into the rolling hills, a symbol of strength, unity and hope.
I was honoured to be asked to write the introduction for this title after Rebeka spotted my book The Bridleway: How Horses Changed the British Landscape (Bloomsbury, 2023) in a shop one day.
I had written about the power of the Uffington chalk horse, the markings etched into our landscapes over thousands of years and how storytelling can transcend time to bring us closer together.
It was wonderful to write the introduction and celebrate the magic of writing about the past - a period so long ago, so different to the one in which we now live, it takes huge cognitive strength to even imagine the mundanities of daily life, let alone adventure, danger, love and death.
Above all, this story is a reminder of the wisdom and resilience of children in a world that can be far too quick to dismiss the voices of the young.
If you haven’t explored the Manderley Press collection yet, I highly recommend you treat yourself to a new edition of an old classic.
Rebeka hand-selects stories from the archives, sweet talks contemporary authors to write new introductions for them, then further sweet talks amazing illustrators to design them. Her next coup is The Strange House, an old Raymond Briggs story with a new introduction by Chris Riddell - what a combo!
If you’re interested to hear more about Sun Horse, Moon Horse and its themes of white horses, English hillscapes, storytelling and ancient lives, I’m delighted to invite you to a special event at Daunt Books in Oxford on Tuesday 10th June at 7pm.
I’ll be hanging out with editor and literary critic Lucy Scholes to discuss the book over a glass of wine, and we would love for you to join us.
Tickets are just £5 - we’ll see you there!
