There seems to be a resurgence of interest in reissuing Rosemary Sutcliff's novels - and not before time, either!
Sandra posted advance notice here in January that Sutcliff's consummate Arthurian novel, Sword at Sunset, is to be reissued in May by an American publisher, The Chicago Review Press, with a new cover design and foreword by Jack Whyte. (NB on making the links, I see that it's available now on amazon.co.uk and on amazon.com.)
Meanwhile, another U.S publisher, Front Street, which specialises in young adult fiction, has brought outThe Mark of the Horse Lord (2006)
The Shield Ring (2007)
and Frontier Wolf (2008)
in paperback with very striking covers and high quality print and paper. Sadly the illustrations from the original OUP editions aren't included.
And what about her old publishers, the Oxford University Press, here in Blighty? Well, they're doing their bit too.
The Eagle of the Ninth
has never (I believe) been out of print since it was first published in 1954 and the most recent edition came out in 2004, marking 50 years since it was first published. New editions of the other two novels in the trilogy, The Silver Branch and The Lantern Bearers, were reissued in 2007, so that all three classic novels are now available in a uniform edition.
The OUP will be reissuing Outcast in July 2008
The Eagle of the Ninth
has never (I believe) been out of print since it was first published in 1954 and the most recent edition came out in 2004, marking 50 years since it was first published. New editions of the other two novels in the trilogy, The Silver Branch and The Lantern Bearers, were reissued in 2007, so that all three classic novels are now available in a uniform edition.
The OUP will be reissuing Outcast in July 2008
and (according to amazon.co.uk, though it isn't mentioned on the OUP website yet) Warrior Scarlet in August 2008.
I should love to see new editions of Song for a Dark Queen, The Capricorn Bracelet, Dawn Wind, Knight's Fee, Blood Feud, The Shining Company, Sun Horse, Moon Horse...and, oh, all of her other wonderful novels made available for a new generation of readers. But this is a very promising and welcome start to be going on with!
I should love to see new editions of Song for a Dark Queen, The Capricorn Bracelet, Dawn Wind, Knight's Fee, Blood Feud, The Shining Company, Sun Horse, Moon Horse...and, oh, all of her other wonderful novels made available for a new generation of readers. But this is a very promising and welcome start to be going on with!
3 comments:
Thank you for keeping your blog going and so much better than I do! Anthony Lawton.
I suppose that I am part of this revival. I read the first 3 "Eagle" books as a boy. I am now nearly 60 and I have read all the Roman Britain books recently.
I continue to be very moved. I there is something remarkably human about a Sutcliff hero.
I feel that we too are living in a time of endings and transition again - so many of the Roman/Britain books either point to this or are full of it.
I love how she brings the natural world into every part of her writing - the opening of Dawn Wind is especially elegiac.
I love the way she loves dogs and how the bond between man and dog is a constant in her work.
Finally I wonder how she found the soul of men as a woman - I can think of few writers who have so accurately been able to speak to the "warrior" than she.
I wish all who are bringing her back well
I am a history publisher looking for out of print novels. I love Rosemary's books especially and am looking into reissuing some of them. Does anybody know whether the rights to all the books have been bought by OUP in the UK? I think Anthony Lawton is the literary executor. Perhaps he could advise!
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