The Cornwall Collection
Manderley Press is delighted to have published two titles set in, and inspired by, the English county of Cornwall: The House in Cornwall by Noel Streatfeild is brand new edition of a forgotten children’ classic - an adventure story written at the start of the Second World War which is set not far from the Cornish town of Truro; China Court by Rumer Godden is the story of a country house close to St Austell and the five generations to the family who lived there, inspired by the houses the author visited throughout her lifetime. Both novels are the perfect introduction to this part of the world - a chance to escape into the Cornish countryside and revel in the nostalgia of a time gone by.
Kiran Millwood Hargrave | an introduction to ‘Tales of London Town’ by Joan Aiken
Manderley Press is delighted to announce that the fabulous writer Kiran Millwood Hargrave will introduce our brand new collection of stories set in a magical other-worldly London - Tales of London Town - by Joan Aiken (another gem from the author of The Wolves of Willoughby Chase). This book is the latest Manderley Press title for 2024, and is published this year to celebrate the centenary of Joan Aiken’s birth.
China Court | Plot Spoilers versus Content Warnings
I had a message from a reader last week who was shocked by the ending of China Court by Rumer Godden, and wondered whether we should have included a trigger warning at the start of the book. Without giving too much of the plot away, this has been a constant talking point since the original publication of the novel in the 1960s. It’s no surprise that the ending still elicits strong feelings over 60 years later.
Lucy Mangan | an introduction to ‘The House in Cornwall’ by Noel Streatfeild
Manderley Press is delighted to announce that the fabulous writer and journalist Lucy Mangan will introduce our brand new edition of the forgotten children's classic - The House in Cornwall - by Noel Streatfeild (author of Ballet Shoes). This book is the latest Manderley Press title for 2024, and will be published right in time for the summer holidays!
Linda Grant | an introduction to China Court by Rumer Godden
I am thrilled to announce that the international bestselling and prizewinning author Linda Grant has written the introduction to our brand new edition of China Court by Rumer Godden. This book has been illustrated by Emily Maude and is the latest Manderley Press title for 2023, published right in time for Christmas!
Manderley Press | gift-wrapped books
We gift-wrap all our books! This is Letter from New York by Helene Hanff, introduced by Jean Hanff Korelitz and illustrated by Bruce Eric Kaplan - the latest Manderley Press title for 2023.
Laurie Lee’s postbox
The end of last week was a blur of deliveries and frantic posting of books. I still can't quite believe that ‘Letter from New York’ is here - thank you all so much for your pre-orders and now actual live orders too! I'm in seventh heaven seeing all your photos and reels featuring the book. I'm certain Helene Hanff would have been tickled pink by all the fabulous feedback.
Happy Birthday Helene Hanff!
To mark Helene Hanff’s 107th birthday today, I'm raising a glass (well, a coffee mug) to this wonderful author and her fabulous books. I love her book ‘Letter from New York’ so much that I just had to republish it. So in homage to Helene Hanff, and her love of birthdays, good friends, New York City, dogs and general party fever, here's one of my favourite excerpts from our brand-new edition of ‘Letter from New York’. How I wish I could have been at this particular party...
Researching ‘China Court’ by Rumer Godden
As many of you will know already, we have another title in the pipeline: a brand new edition of 'China Court' by the luminous writer Rumer Godden. This book is set in a country house near St Austell in Cornwall, and I have been researching the area and the history of the local china clay mines and the nearby grand old houses, as well as the inspirational surrounding countryside too. All of which led me to The White Road by Edmund de Waal - a history of porcelain.
In celebration of all things yellow
The daffs are blooming in force, the sun is out (a little bit, anyway), and this week we got to choose the perfect New York taxi cab-matching yellow for the cloth spine for our new edition of Helene Hanff's ‘Letter from New York’.
In praise of Robert Louis Stevenson
This morning I am taking a moment to appreciate Robert Louis Stevenson - pictured here on the front cover of the brand new Manderley Press edition of his book Edinburgh: Picturesque Notes.
Letter from New York by Helene Hanff
Manderley Press is delighted to announce the publication of a brand new edition of Helene Hanff ’s ‘Letter from New York’, as broadcast on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour. First published in the 1990s and now re-issued with an introduction by Jean Hanff Korelitz and illustrations by New Yorker cartoonist Bruce Eric Kaplan.
Edinburgh: Picturesque Notes
Once upon a time, in a pandemic, I decided to set up a publishing company and launch it with this book - a brand-new edition of Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Edinburgh: Picturesque Notes'.
The Armourer’s House by Rosemary Sutcliff
I wanted to share some excerpts from Rosemary Sutcliff's book The Armourer's House because it seemed to me that this wonderful children's book is made ever so much more special because of all the motherly figures who appear throughout the book.
Manderley Press turns one!
For those of you who have just discovered us, Manderley Press is a new independent publishing company – named for the house in Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca – which finds forgotten or out-of-print books that were deeply inspired by a house, place or landmark, and brings those lost titles back to life for a contemporary audience.
Every publication features a specially commissioned introduction and front cover, with the author and artist chosen for their connections to the places at the heart of each title.
Manderley Press titles are all exquisitely produced small hardback editions, quarter-bound in real cloth, with head and tail bands, and printed on high quality paper in the UK.
We love our front covers so much that we have created beautiful art prints of each one, and these are available to buy on our website, all signed by their respective illustrators.