The Mab is almost here!

The cover of The Mab, illustrated by Max Low

The Mab is almost here!

The Mab is almost here! 400 644 Peter Bell

We’re just two months away from The Mab hitting bookshelves, and lots of good things are happening.

My story in the collection is called Geraint, Enid and the Big Knight Fight – it’s the tale of an ambitious young knight who sets out to impress a girl by winning a fight against a much bigger, tougher opponent. It’s not spoiling anything to reveal that his scheme quickly falls apart, and the object of his affections, Enid, has to step in to save the day. It was a lot of fun to write, and Max Low has come up with an eye-popping illustration for it that captures both the adventure and the humour.

Matt Brown and P.G. Bell pose for a selfie in a Cardiff coffee shop

Matt Brown (left) and me

The Mab’s co-editor Matt Brown (author of some of the funniest books you’ll ever read, including Aliens Invaded My Talent Show) swung by Cardiff recently, collecting signatures for the bookplates that will find their way into the special signed editions. I squeezed my signature in alongside those of Eloise Williams (former Children’s Laureate Wales and author of Wilde), Sophie Anderson (The Girl Who Sang Storms) Darren Chetty (The Good Immigrant), Hanan Issa (My Body Can House Two Hearts), Zillah Bethel (The Shark Caller) and a host of others. Best of all, I got to read the book’s foreword by Good Omens star Michael Sheen, and it’s every bit as magical as the stories.  Here’s just a quick taste:

“These stories make the wall between worlds thrillingly thin. Their enchantment calls to us ever from the other side of the door.”

The Mab will be available on 9th June 2022. If you haven’t already secured your copy through the crowdfunding campaign, you can pre-order from Hive, at a special sale price, by clicking here – and a portion of every sale made through the Hive website goes to support a real bricks-and-mortar bookshop somewhere in the UK. The Mab is also available to pre-order through Waterstones, Blackwells, or wherever you like to buy your books online. Go and order your copy today!

P.G. Bell signs bookplates for The Mab in a Cardiff coffee shop