Faber to republish 'seasonal classic' by Farrell

Faber will bring back into print Mistletoe Malice, a “rediscovered seasonal classic” by Kathleen Farrell, for the first time in 70 years. 

The book is described as “a devilishly funny portrait of a dysfunctional post-war English family’s festivities as they reunite in a seaside cottage”. Ella Griffiths, heritage editor, acquired world all-language rights from Farrell’s executor, Sebastian Beaumont, via Becky Brown at Curtis Brown Heritage. It will publish in November.  

Griffiths said she came across the work after finding “a mysterious parcel” in her office pigeonhole filled with rare first editions of novels by Farrell. “As soon as I read this line on the 1951 edition of Mistletoe Malice, ’Do you really enjoy spending Christmas with your family? Or do they talk too much?–ask too many questions?–push your life away?’, I knew we had to republish it. So thanks to Farrell’s friend Rob Cochrane, who had posted these copies to me championing republication, this Christmas Faber are proud to be bringing it back into print for the first time in 70 years.”