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The Romance of William and the Werewolf
£20.00
Michael Smith
A new telling of the 14th-century William of Palerne
A magical, long-forgotten masterpiece, The Romance of William and the Werewolf is the story of two princes who overcome their wicked family to reclaim their inheritance and build a society based on tolerance and equality.
Originally titled William of Palerne, it was first translated from French and then converted into an alliterative Middle English romance by an obscure Gloucestershire scribe around 1350. This multi-layered tale of poverty, justice, exile and ‘otherness’ has never been translated into modern English – until now.
Its themes of inheritance, the freedom of women, fairness and forgiveness, familial responsibility and social class speak to us just as clearly today, and challenge us to reflect upon our class-driven politics and the corruption, entitlement and indifference which underlie them.
As with Michael Smith’s other translations, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and King Arthur’s Death, The Romance of William and the Werewolf features a detailed historical introduction, a comprehensive glossary and notes, and the author’s own rich and beautiful linocut illustrations.
Hardback: 320pp
Published: Wilton Square (October 2025)
ISBN: 9781800183698
UK postage is free if you spend £20 or more
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