Transit Books Risks Publishing Rebecca Perry’s Booker Shortlist Novel

Rebecca Perry’s novel “May We Feed the King” made the Booker Prize shortlist, but it nearly went without a U.S. publisher. The book, which features a curator and a reluctant king, was rejected by multiple American houses before Transit Books agreed to print it. This decision happened before the novel gained major critical recognition in the United Kingdom.

Perry, who lives in London, credits Marigold Atkey, an editor at Daunt Books, for connecting her work with the Transit team. Atkey noted that no one else was planning to publish the book in America. "You should read this book. No one’s publishing it in America," Atkey told the Transit editors. Perry stated that the publisher took a chance on the manuscript while others declined it.

Ashley Nelson Levy, the publisher and editor of the U.S. edition at Transit Books, read the manuscript over a weekend. She said she immediately recognized its value. "I read Rebecca’s book over the course of a weekend and immediately knew it was special," Levy wrote in an email. She cited a line about history forcing people to confront what they have lost as a key element she appreciated.

The novel operates on two levels. One narrative follows a modern-day curator who stages scenes for historical sites. The second focuses on a king who is unwilling to accept power. Perry described the book as relatively plotless to avoid spoilers. The curator recovers a story about the king from palace archives, and the reader is left to determine if the king’s tale is real or imagined.

Perry, a published poet who works for a prison literacy charity, said she wrote the book without expecting it to be published. After its U.K. release earlier this year, sales were steady for literary fiction. The situation changed rapidly when the book was longlisted for the Booker Prize. "The gear change happened basically within the space of a week," Perry said.

The author admitted to finding the shortlist status overwhelming. She is nominated alongside authors Marlon James, Elizabeth Strout, and Douglas Stuart. Perry said she feels lucky to be included in such a large event. "Being on a shortlist, it just feels massive, almost to the point where I’m like, ‘That actually is probably enough for now. I’m good with this.‘" she said.

The winner of the Booker Prize will be announced on Nov. 9 during a livestreamed event in London. Perry has attended previous ceremonies for her literacy work but expects this experience to be more nerve-wracking. She plans to watch the announcement from her home in London.

Perry’s writing process involves extensive research into staging and replica food. She spent time observing how scenes are set up in historic buildings. She also maintains a garden, which she says helps her develop patience. She compares waiting for bulbs to sprout in winter to the slow process of writing.