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Square Peg signs Swarthout’s ‘unmissable’ book of medieval wisdom
Square Peg has acquired Weird Medieval Guys: How to Live, Laugh (and Die) in Dark Times by debut author Olivia Swarthout.
Marianne Tatepo, publishing director, acquired world all-language rights from Tom Killingbeck at A M Heath. It will be published on 2nd November 2023 in hardback and e-book.
The publisher says: “Bursting with wisdom and artwork from the Middle Ages, this handy guide will give you time-tested solutions for all of life’s biggest problems. Whether it’s choosing an appropriate dog name like Garlik or Filthe, becoming an irresistible suitor even though you can’t joust, surviving encounters with rabbits and dragons, or coming to terms with your inevitable demise, this book is full of illuminating advice that is sure to brighten up the darkest of times.”
Swarthout is behind the Weird Medieval Guys Twitter account (which has 667,000 followers) and Instagram account (65,700 followers), and also has a newsletter and podcast, sharing “different aspects of medieval life and debunks commonly held misconceptions about history".
She said: “It’s been thrilling to see the interest in medieval art that my account has sparked. Square Peg has been a huge help in creating something hilarious and beautiful for my audience that takes them even deeper into the world of weird medieval guys. I’m so glad they share my interest in using history as a means of entertaining and educating, and I think we’ve done a brilliant job of capturing the spirit of the original weird medieval guys account while adding lots of brilliant new content for people to enjoy over and over again.”
Tatepo said: “In creating Weird Medieval Guys, Olivia had the foresight of noting the many parallels between medieval and modern life. From how hard wooing is, to landlord issues and the whole ~plague~ thing, we have much in common with our forebears.
“Olivia has brought together nearly 700,000 people in this quest to uncover the evergreen mysteries of, well, existing. This book guides readers through medieval life, whether that’s who they might have been in 1066, their would-be medieval epithet, or Patron Saint. It also features hundreds of beautiful maps, artworks and hilarious manuscripts, and a bestiary (a medieval Pokédex) of creatures that once walked the earth... such as the manticore. This is unmissable for lovers of marginalia, art and the Middle Ages.”
