REALMS OF THE ROUND TABLE
BEYOND SIR THOMAS MALORY
BEYOND MALORY’S KEN
John Matthew’s REALMS OF THE ROUND TABLE landed in May, the second of his collection of Arthurian quests and stories that remained outside the ken of Sir Thomas Malory, whose The Morte d’Arthur is regarded in Britain as the epitome of Arthurian writing. Of course, had Malory not been serially imprisoned for so long, it is quite possible that he would have been able to gain access to more than just the libraries of friends and the Dick Whittington library of the City of London which was very near Newgate Goal, from where he was allowed to consult many volumes of Arthurian lore.
Few people are aware of how broadly the Arthurian legends have penetrated - within the Medieval period alone they stretched literally from Iceland to Italy, and from Portugal to Palestine - yes, there are texts in Icelandic and Hebrew, as well as every European language, just about.. Of course now, in our own age, there are scholars studying these legends in universities from California to Japan, and from Sweden to South Africa, as a quick look in the International Arthurian Bulletin will attest.
John has been a member of that organization since he was a teenager and now, at 77, one the most active writers, still spreading the word about King Arthur and the Matter of Britain. Realms of the Round Table is actually his 150th published book.
This book is illustrated again by John Howe, who was a designer and creative artist on the Lord of the Rings’ film franchise: he remains centre stage in the illustration of Tolkien’s works. It is a particular joy that Sir John Boorman, direction of Excalibur, was able to write a foreword to it. This means that the Three Johns, rather like the Three Tenors, are singing from the same Arthurian song book! And what a gathering it is!
Sir John Boorman’s words are particularly pleasing, ‘In my researches for the film Excalibur, I kept colliding with John Matthews. From his great knowledge of the Arthurian legends he gave me notable advice as I researched my story. His writing about the Arthurian legend is enjoyable as well as authentic and this book of new stories is as surprising and enthralling as you would expect.’
The previous volume of this series of stories, drawn from across the European Arthurian tradition, is the Great Book of King Arthur, which is now available in paperback but without the beautiful colour of John Howe’s extraordinary pictures. The hardback is particularly splendid, with rubrics heading each story and John Howe’ imaginative images illuminating the book, as we also find in the new Realms of the Round Table.
A KNIGHTLY INTRODUCTION
What follows is the wonderful introduction to the talk that John gave at Blackwells Bookshop on 28th May 2025 when Realms of the Round Table was launched. Due to a train that caught fire just outside Reading station, a lot of guests arrived rather later from London, and John’s editor from Harper Collins, Chris Smith, was unable to give this introduction to John and the new book, so I am placing here for everyone to enjoy.
An INTRODUCTION TO THE BLACKWELLS EVENT ON THE 28th MAY 2025
BY CHRIS SMITH
‘Knights, damsels, knaves and other literary folk. Lovers of all things Arthurian.
My name is Chris Smith. It is my absolute pleasure to introduce a man, a myth, a legend - a humble but yet oh-so talented scribe - who has taken lost tales of the legendary King Arthur and his noble court and breathed new life into them.
I should know - what a pleasure it was to work on two out of the 150 books he has written, beginning with The Great Book of King Arthur, where your humble scribe introduced me ( and later the world) to the splendid idea of retelling for a modern audience tales of the Round Table table left out of Malory's Morte d'Arthur. A truly special book. We worked together on it during lockdown and I can tell you it was the perfect antidote to that time, transporting me to a world of magic, romance and adventure. But the best news is it's finally available in paperback too!
Now, when we think of King Arthur and his court, we often imagine chivalry, honour, a dash of good old fashioned gallantry - qualities that seem to be in short supply these days. But fear not! Our scribe was taken it up on himself to remind us of those timeless values through his enchanting new collection of stories, Realms of the Round Table, just published in a sumptuous hardback edition, illustrated by the Prince of Tolkien artists, John Howe, and introduced by a bona-fide a knight of the cinema, film director Sir John Boorman.
But getting back to the writing - with a quill in one hand a mug of mead in the other, our humble scribe weaves tales that transport us to Camelot, where knights are noble, ladies are wise, and even the occasional dragon has a soft spot for a good story. His gift for storytelling is like Excalibur - brilliant, sharp, and capable of cutting through the mundane to reveal the extraordinary. In his world, you'll find adventures that are both thrilling and heartwarming, full of magic and romance. He has a knack for making this world feel fresh and relatable, reminding us that the values of friendship, loyalty, love and bravery are as relevant today as they were in days of yore. He joins us tonight to explore the enduring power of myth and legend, which is woven like a thread of gold to the tapestry of tales, from Malory to the present day. He may even reveal the fascinating connection between King Arthur and JRR Tolkien. Indeed Tolkien’s own myths and legends are collected in a handsome new box set, available to order from all good book shops!
So, without further ado, let's raise our goblets, rattle our swords, and welcome the master of Arthurian storytelling, the Bard of Camelot himself, John Matthews!’
John was indeed charmed and almost overcome by such praise, which Chris Smith read aloud to him in the garden of the Turf Tavern off Holywell Street following the Blackwell’s talk. But it is richly deserved, as these two books are the fruit of years of study and devoted love of these legends, which helped bring us together in so many ways.
AN INVOICE TO THE PAST
A few years back when John edited an edition of Sir Thomas Malory’s Morte d’Arthur, for another publisher - now sadly out of print - he tried to order some copies for himself.
The box duly arrived with both parcel and invoice addressed to ‘Sir Thomas Malory’ at our address, clearly perpetrated by a confused operative at the wharehouse! It would indeed have been hard for Malory to pay this invoice, having been dead some 600 years. It is also quite possible that he would have not been willing, or even able, to pay it anyway, since he spent his declining years in prison at Newgate for various misdemeanours, but chiefly for being politically inconvenient at a critical stage of the Wars of the Roses.
John has had the most extraordinary career, very fortunate to have been freer than Sir Thomas to research and study, but while we might imagine him doing less in his seventies, he is about to astound us all with something yet more wonderful…. but that is a story for another time! More news when we have it!
I leave you with the image of John remembering Sir Thomas Malory at what was once his place of burial at Greyfriars Church in the City of London, on the occasion of the launch of the Great Book of Arthur in 2022.
Part of the memorial of Sir Thomas included prayers in Latin and in English, including the shaking of the silver branch and these words, written specially for the occasion:
‘May all heaviness and sorrow depart from the soul of Sir Thomas Malory!
May all joy and gladness visit his immortal soul!
And may the holy angels attend him forever!’
You can obtain all the books mentioned above from all the usual places.
What a deliciously gorgeous book cover and a delightful (and well deserved) 'Knightly Introduction'. Thank you, I loved your account Caitlin.
This look absolutely amazing, thank you Caitlin for introducing so well and so fitting. Grateful to you both.. blessings and care.