Kiran Millwood Hargrave pens new introduction for Manderley Press edition of Joan Aiken's stories

Manderley Press has snapped up a new collection of stories by Joan Aiken, featuring an introduction by Kiran Millwood Hargrave.

Publisher Rebeka Russell acquired world English language rights from Julia Churchill at the A M Heath Literary Agency, and the book will be released in hardback in September 2024.

"Brought together for the very first time in a beautiful new edition, the novellas in this collection are linked by a golden thread connecting strange and wonderful characters to magical and imaginary parts of the city we never knew existed — an ancient and wild part of London called Rumbury Town," the synopsis says.

Lizza Aiken, Joan’s daughter, said: “My mother’s short stories are among her best work, and they create a timeless semi-magical world that still relates to London today.”
Russell added: “It was essential that Joan Aiken’s stories were introduced by a superb contemporary writer with a deep interest in the author herself, and who was also passionate about imaginary worlds, fantastical stories and the idea of alternative but recognisable settings in London. All roads led me straight to Kiran... Tales of London Town is a gift for those of us hungering to stay a while in Aiken’s imagination. She appeals to this inner child in any of her adult readers.”