The Black Chalice

Malory's Knights of Albion

Discussion of a modernisation of the Second Book has been bandied about since a few months after its discovery. Canon Drake asked those involved in studying the text to hold off on a mainstream publication until he had a chance to discuss an edition with several publishers. Following talks with Jason Kingsley, CEO of Rebellion Publishing, Ltd., and Jonathan Oliver, Editor-in-Chief of Abaddon Books, Drake gave the imprint the go-ahead to develop a series of novelisations in modern English in early 2010.

"I'm a great fan of Abaddon's work," said Drake. "I usually have one of their zombie or steampunk books tucked into my pocket — once, I realised, I had one tucked into my cassock when I was conducting a wedding — and I think they'll do a brilliant job with the new Malory stuff."

Speaking for Rebellion, Oliver said, "We're very excited to be involved with bringing this work to the world. Whether it's an original Malory book or a fifteenth-century forgery, it's still an immensely important work, and it's brilliant to have our authors involved in it.

"Besides, the stories are great fun. There's a rich vein of chivalric tradition in these books, and I think the public will enjoy a chance to escape to a nobler time of heroic knights, evil monsters and virtuous maidens."