30 May 2023, The Chair, Hay-on-Wye, 5pm
Simon Mundy, The Fragile Land
We're delighted to celebrate the launch of Hay Press's first title as an imprint of Renard Press, The Fragile Land by Simon Mundy.
This event has now passed. Please see our events page for forthcoming events.Simon Mundy
Stories surrounding the legendary King Arthur have been told since time immemorial, and every generation has a new take on the tale. The Fragile Land approaches the legend from a radical angle, setting it firmly in the post-Roman world of late fifth-century Europe, when the language of Britannia was still Brythonic and the Saxons had not yet superimposed their own place names.
The Fragile Land chronicles the crucial years of Arthur’s life, from the age of fifteen into his early thirties, as he comes to the fore as elected Overlord, empowered to confront the Barbarian threat and to keep the factious leaders of the island’s kingdoms in some sort of political alliance. Enhanced by a beautifully illustrated map by the artist Kate Milsom, Simon Mundy’s cunningly woven tale of an island in unrest draws subtle parallels with contemporary cultural disputes and casts the legend in a whole new light.