May We Feed the King : Winner of the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize

Charlotte says about May We Feed the King:
"May We Feed the King is a meditation on storytelling and the truth we lose from history, all brought to life by a king, his resistance to duty, and a curator who discovers the detailing of his life many years on. Quick, pacy, and precise in its observations, this is an intricately crafted novel fully deserving of its Booker Prize longlist nomination, and I loved every second. Perry’s characters are formed so utterly that it was only on reflection I realised they were nameless!"

She is a curator, who spends her time dressing the rooms of historic buildings to bring them to life. But in the lush private quarters of a medieval palace, she finds herself so transfixed by the reign of an almost-forgotten King that the edges of her life begin to blur.

He is a reluctant ruler with no hunger for power, rushed to the throne after the untimely deaths of his older brothers. But it isn't long before whispers begin to fly around the court. And with the growing belief that the King is not fit for the throne comes the idea that another might rule in his stead.

May We Feed the King dances between the lives of a historical subject who risks the future of his kingdom and a woman who turns to the past to hide from her present. Laced with desire and longing, it is a playful, stirring meditation on history and storytelling: on what makes a King 'Great', and a life meaningful.

Author: Perry, Rebecca

Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945)

Published on 29 January 2026 by GRANTA BOOKS in the United Kingdom.

Hardback | 272 pages
206 x 138 x 27 | 330g