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Galley Beggar buys second two volumes in Mordew trilogy
After publishing the first instalment in Alex Pheby's Mordew trilogy earlier this month, Galley Beggar has announced it has secured the next two books in the fantasy series.
The publisher acquired world rights to Malarkoi and Waterblack from the author's agent, David Godwin.
Eloise Millar, co-director of Galley Beggar Press, said: “Watching the early reception and excitement building around Mordew has been a delight. The story I always like to tell people is that, when Alex first sent the manuscript of Mordew to us, our comment to him was, ‘But we don’t know how to publish fantasy’. Then I read the first 10 pages. I walked through to Sam’s office – he read the same pages, and we both looked at each other and said, ‘Well, now we need to learn how to publish fantasy.’
"Working on the novel has been tremendous, we’re over the moon to see that readers, critics, and booksellers are as excited as we are—and now, thanks to Alex, we’re going to be able to put out the remaining two books in the trilogy. To say that we’re thrilled doesn’t quite cover it."
The press anticpate publishing Malarkoi in 2022, with Waterblack to follow two years later in 2024.
The trilogy synopsis states: "Mordew takes place in a world built on the corpse of God, and is populated with thieves, slum dwellers, merchants, magicians, enchanted dogs and half-formed, sickly 'flukes'. The story revolves around Nathan Treeves and his attempts to come to terms with a forbidden power that could destroy the city or put it to rights. After the cataclysmic conclusion of Mordew, the saga continues in the city of Mordew’s great enemy, Malarkoi, where plots and secrets begin to unravel and the truth behind Nathan’s power is revealed, before reaching its climax in Waterblack, the ruined city of Nathan’s father, where everything Nathan has learned is turned on its head in a battle for the survival of everything he loves."
Pheby said: “Galley Beggar Press is the perfect home for Mordew, and Sam and Elly are the perfect editors. I couldn’t be happier knowing the trilogy is in safe hands.”
The indie press has previously published two literary novels with Pheby, including Playthings (2015), which was shortlisted for the 2016 Wellcome Book Prize and Lucia (2018), the joint winner of the 2019 Republic of Consciousness Prize.
