It has been longlisted for the 2026 Booker Prize
Winner of the 2026 Waterstones Prize for Best First Novel
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A museum curator immerses himself in the medieval world of a reluctant king in this poignant debut work of fiction about what is lost to time and what devotion can bring back to life.The curator spends her days reconstructing the past, carefully selecting furniture, fabrics and dining models, and meticulously arranging them to bring the medieval rooms to life. Whether it is a feast overflowing with dishes, or a table for two filled with intimate touches, the room should look as if its owners have just left it.After accepting an assignment to work on the private wings of a medieval palace, a museum curator is immersed in the story of a king nearly forgotten by history. As she studies the traces he left behind, the boundaries between her life and his begin to blur.
The King is an unlikely ruler: a man not inclined to power, hastily appointed after the sudden death of his brothers. At court, doubts about his wisdom are whispered across the rooms. Then an incredible possibility emerges amidst the conversations: perhaps someone else will take the throne.The novel “Shall we feed the king?” It is the debut work of an award-winning poet, told through shadows and old pieces of paper, heard through cracked doors and muffled breaths. The novel questions how history is shaped, and how surviving stories can distort the life they claim to preserve. Filled with desire and longing, Perry's novel is a profound meditation on the small details and large gaps that make up life.
