Volume one of Guite’s new epic poem, Merlin’s Isle: An Arthuriad, arrives spring 2026 – three more volumes to follow in 2027-2028
Nashville, Tenn. (June 17, 2024) Rabbit Room Press proudly announces its partnership with globally renowned scholar and poet Malcolm Guite to publish a four-volume epic poem Merlin’s Isle. Guite describes the new work as a poetic retelling of the Arthurian legends that is accessible for modern readers. Volume one, Galahad and the Grail, will be published in spring 2026 with three more volumes slated for 2027 and 2028.
Malcolm Guite is known worldwide as a poet following the tradition of Samuel Taylor Coleridge and George Herbert, a priest in the tradition of Lancelot Andrewes, and a scholar and Literary Critic in the tradition of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien. A fellow at Cambridge University, Guite is the author of several works of nonfiction and poetry including Sounding the Seasons: 70 Sonnets for the Christian Year (Canterbury Press) now in its tenth printing.
Merlin’s Isle is a four-volume poetic retelling of the legends of King Arthur, written in an approachable and accessible way for modern readers of all ages and backgrounds, calling them deeper into the classic tales of King Arthur and his knights. These volumes present the tales imaginatively and uniquely through poetry while drawing out the deep spiritual themes the story has grappled with throughout its history.
Rabbit Room Press will release each volume in deluxe hardcover binding, featuring cover art and interior illustrations by award-winning artist Stephen Crotts. Crotts’ work has been featured in numerous books, album covers, magazines, and even onstage at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
“I am immensely grateful to embark on this new partnership with Rabbit Room, and for their belief and faith in a project I have contemplated for many years: an epic retelling of the legends of King Arthur, stories I have loved since I was a child,” says Malcolm Guite. “As a student, I rediscovered these stories in their original sources and became aware of how many modern versions seemed to marginalize or even erase the deep spiritual impulse that had formed their original telling. As a poet, I have worked to restore that lost element, hoping that a new telling will baptize the imagination of a new generation.”
Guite’s fluency with poetic traditions and stories of the past, alongside his theological bent and a rare gift for making poetry approachable for modern readers, have endeared him to the Rabbit Room team which views him as a kindred spirit and a fellow traveler.
“We at Rabbit Room have admired and championed Malcolm Guite’s work for years. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to publish this exciting work,” explains Pete Peterson, Publisher at Rabbit Room Press. “It is with great joy that we take up this four-part quest of the Grail, of Camelot and Avalon and all things Arthurian. Malcolm Guite will lead readers into the storied wilds as acclaimed illustrator Stephen Crotts adorns Guite’s words with images along the way.”
For more information about Rabbit Room Press and the forthcoming partnership with Malcom Guite, visit www.merlinsisle.com.
Malcolm Guite is a poet, priest and Life Fellow of Girton College, Cambridge. He lectures widely in England and North America on Theology and Literature. His books include Sounding the Seasons: Seventy Sonnets for the Christian Year (Canterbury 2012), The Singing Bowl: Collected Poems (Canterbury 2013), Parable and Paradox (Canterbury Press 2016), Mariner: A Voyage with Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Hodder 2017), After Prayer (Canterbury Press 2019), The Word Within the Words (DLT 2021) and Lifting the Veil (Square Halo 2021).
The Rabbit Room cultivates and curates stories, music, and art to nourish Christ-centered communities for the life of the world. Conceived in 2007 as an experiment in creative community, The Rabbit Room put down roots in a 150-year-old farmhouse in Nashville, Tennessee. The community’s creative ventures now include a podcast network, book store, Rabbit Room Press, and live events including the annual Hutchmoot conference. www.rabbitroom.com.
Contact: Carly Anderson, carly@rabbitroom.com
