Dear Supporter

The werewolf is coming!

I am delighted to tell you that I have heard from my editor today that The Romance of William and the Werewolf has now been passed for press, which means that the book will soon be on its way to the printers in good time for publication date on 17th October.

You should also have received an email from Unbound asking you to update your mailing address so that your copies can be despatched to you. Your copies should reach you before publication date – if you are in the USA or Canada, you will receive your books well ahead of publication date there (March 2025)!

Thank you!

I want to thank you once again for helping bring this book to fruition – it would not have been possible without your support. I believe this is the first formal translation of this romance in print in modern English, so the book has an additional rarity all of its own – one which you have helped make happen!

What’s in the book?

This has been a real labour of love; I hope I have been able to the original text justice. Here’s what you can expect when you receive yours:

Introduction

An historical introduction tells you about the text as it survives in Cambridge today. As well as outlining scholarly opinion of the text and its place in the so-called alliterative “revival” of the fourteenth century, I also give an account if how the English text came to be produced.

The story about the story is as intriguing as the story itself. The original text in Old French on which the English text is based was derived from a Latin text in the twelfth century. Then, in the 1350s, it was translated into Middle English under the command of Humphrey de Bohun; a novel feature of the translation is that it was rendered into a distinct English verse form, the alliterative long line.

The reasons why this came about are discussed, as is Humphrey’s own life and his dedication to book production at his castle at Pleshey. I also provide a background into the translation and illustration process, in addition to providing a summary of the plot.

The meat of the Werewolf

After this, we then arrive at the meat of the work: a comprehensive translation of the 5500 lines of Middle English text which survive. It’s a wonderful story of treachery, exile and triumphant return – but it also has some telling messages for today, including how we are governed and how society might function for the benefit of all.

Some of the Middle English text in the surviving manuscript is missing so, in order to deliver the complete story, these lacunae are informed by a translation of the Old French rendered into modern English alliterative verse to match the translation of the Middle English. I have knitted together these passages so that the text reads seamlessly.

The work is also illustrated with linocut prints throughout. As you may know, if you have read previous translations of mine, I produce these by hand on an old Albion press. As well as the illustrations, the book also contains a suite of linocut illuminated letters to break up the text.

Appendices

One of the features of this romance is the presence of the narrator-scribe; he cannot go undescribed. So, in the first Appendix, I discuss his personality and attempt to shed some light on his role in the text and his intentions.

The second appendix is for the aficionado. Here I lay out the Old French text of the missing passages from Middle English; this is accompanied by a parallel translation. Old French is fascinating in how it differs from the modern language; I wanted to give you a flavour by way of inspiration.

Just a month to go

So, not long to go now before your copy arrives – I hope you think it has been worth the wait and that you’ll enjoy the book. Please do let me know your thoughts by either contacting me via my website (www.mythicalbritain.co.uk) or via Mythical Britain on (what used to be called) Twitter or on Facebook – I’d love to hear what you think.

Thank you once again for all your support,

 

Michael Smith

Translator and Printmaker.