Gollancz snaps up three-book deal from Finn Longman in six-figure pre-empt

Gollancz has snapped up The Wolf and His King, a "luscious" queer medieval retelling, as part of a six-figure pre-empt for three books from medievalist Finn Longman. 

Editorial director Bethan Morgan signed world all-language rights from Jessica Hare at The Agency. The Wolf and His King will be published in spring 2025, followed by two standalones in 2026 and 2027, respectively. 

"I am over the moon that Bethan jumped at the chance to publish Finn’s debut adult novel… and that more readers will be lucky enough to experience the singular joy of reading Finn’s breath-taking writing," said Hare. 

Billed as Madeline Miller meets Angela Carter, The Wolf and His King is a "spellbinding" queer retelling of the 12th-century story "Bisclavret", "The Werewolf". When Bisclavret must travel to the royal court to swear fealty to the new king he discovers someone "willing to offer him far more than just his father’s lands". The new king in turn is fascinated by his new knight and "fascination quickly turns to longing", but when Bisclavret is seemingly killed by a wolf, the king’s grief threatens to consume him until he discovers an animal "that seems too intelligent to be he violent beast he seeks".

Morgan said: “A radically empowering remix of the quintessential medieval werewolf romance, this book has the quiet intensity of all my favourite folkloric fantasy, steeped in the texture and tenor of its source material and rendered with a precision of language and wordsmith’s eye for detail that feels intimate and timeless, transporting you to a fireside… The Wolf and His King is going to electrify readers next year, swift as summer lightning.”

Longman added: “It’s a cliché, perhaps, to say that this is the book of my heart – but The Wolf and His King really is. With its roots deep in my academic research, this story encompasses so many parts of myself, touching on ideas of disability, queerness, peace, grief and affection. And yearning. Can’t forget the yearning. It’s fantastic to have the chance to work with Bethan, who understood what I was trying to do with this book from the very first chance conversation we had about it, and I’m grateful to Jessica for not batting an eye when I kept making this book stranger and more medieval.”