Since the earliest days of Rabbit Room Press, one of our dreams has been to issue beautiful editions of books by authors we love. And right at the top of that list of authors has always been George MacDonald.
C. S. Lewis said of his first encounter with MacDonald’s writing: “That night my imagination was, in a certain sense, baptized.” And Lewis would go on to read, reference, and credit MacDonald for the rest of his life. He considered him in some sense his mentor.
A lot of the writers and musicians here in the Rabbit Room have had a similar relationship with him. I confess that he’s influenced much of my own writing—The Fiddler’s books, Frankenstein, and The Hiding Place for example. And he’s also had a huge influence on the way I think about my faith and my God.
So last year when Ned Bustard suggested the idea of issuing a new edition of The Light Princess, it wasn’t just a good idea, it was the fulfillment of a recurring dream.
This short fairy tale is one of MacDonald’s most playful and beloved stories, full of clever wordplay and unexpected “gravity.” Ned, fresh off the heels of illustrating Every Moment Holy, was positively giddy about the chance to marry his symbol-laced print-making with MacDonald’s allusion-laced storytelling. It’s a perfect match.
For this new edition, Ned has created a whopping 31 original linocuts. On top of that, we asked Jennifer Trafton to write a foreword and Andrew Peterson to write an afterword. Taken in combination with Ned’s artistic statement about his own work, these reflections on the story offer any new reader a great introduction not just to The Light Princess, but to the work of MacDonald himself. And to top it all off, we’ve put the whole thing together in a beautiful leather-bound cover (also designed by Ned).
Rabbit Room Press is delighted to announce that this special edition of The Light Princess will be released on November 1st. Pre-orders are now open in the Rabbit Room Store (and if we’re lucky, you might even be able to pick up your pre-order at Hutchmoot).
P. S. (Grab a pre-order of Rabbit Room Press’s other new title while you’re there: Jonny Jimison’s Dragonlord Saga, Vol. 1 – Martin and Marco.)
Pete Peterson is the author of the Revolutionary War adventure The Fiddler’s Gun and its sequel Fiddler’s Green. Among the many strange things he’s been in life are the following: U.S Marine air traffic controller, television editor, art teacher and boatwright at the Florida Sheriffs Boys Ranch, and progenitor of the mysterious Budge-Nuzzard. He lives in Nashville with his wife, Jennifer, where he's the Executive Director of the Rabbit Room and Managing Editor of Rabbit Room Press.
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Laure Hittle
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