Hot Key to publish standalone addition to Black's Folk of Air series

Hot Key Books, an imprint of Bonnier Books UK, will publish How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black, a standalone book from the same universe as her Folk of Air children's series. The title features over 80 full-colour illustrations from Rovina Cai.

Jane Harris, managing director of children’s trade at Bonnier Books UK, and Emma Matthewson, executive publisher for Hot Key Books and Piccadilly Press, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, including audio and e-book, from Heather Baror-Shapiro at Baror International. The book will publish on 24th November 2020. 

The title is a standalone book but takes place in the same "Elfhame" world as Black's Folk of Air series. How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories will be a "deeper look" into the Elhame's king, Cardan. The book will include some stories that fans will be familiar with but they will be told wholly from Cardan's perspective. 

Black commented: "I planned a novella to go with the Folk of the Air series centred on Cardan, but I realised I couldn’t do justice to his story until the trilogy was over. I am thrilled to finally get to tell you a bit more about the sullen, annoying and enigmatic High King of Elfhame and I am especially excited to be partnering with World Fantasy Award-winning illustrator Rovina Cai." 

Matthewson added: "‘We could not be more thrilled to be publishing this deliciously satisfying and engaging addition to Holly’s Folk of the Air faerie world, gorgeously illustrated in full colour for the very first time."