Follett prequel set for September 2020

Ken Follett’s new novel The Evening and the Morning, a prequel to his bestselling 1989 book The Pillars of the Earth, will be released on 15th September 2020.

Pan Macmillan, which is publishing in the UK, first announced the new novel at the Frankfurt Book Fair in October. It will be released in hardback, e-book and audio.

The Evening and the Morning takes place around the year 1000, when England is under constant attack from Vikings and soon to be conquered by Normans. The theme of the story is the origins of a legal system that does not merely serve the ruling chieftains.

Follett explained: “The idea for a novel often comes from a question: Why were the cathedrals built? Why did we have the First World War? The Evening and the Morning started with me asking myself what Kingsbridge was like before the cathedral was built. So the new book takes us back to the turn of the first millennium 1000 AD. It’s called The Evening and the Morning because this period is the end of the Dark Ages and the beginning of the Middle Ages. I’m delighted by the reaction so far of editors to The Evening and the Morning. I hope you enjoy it.”

Jeremy Trevathan, publisher of Pan Macmillan, added: “Pan Macmillan has had the pleasure of working with Ken for 30 years this year, with the first title we published the international phenomenon The Pillars of the Earth. The longevity and success of our collaboration has been a source of huge pride for Pan Macmillan. The fact that today, in this anniversary year, we announce the publication of Pillars’ prequel is therefore tremendously exciting on all levels. We cannot wait for publication next year.”