Susanna Clarke’s New Book Returns to Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell’s Magical England

By Ahaqir Ishaq | October 19, 2026

Susanna Clarke is taking readers back to the world of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, this time to a medieval England where surrendering a city is more complicated than it sounds.

Her new book, The Bishop of Durham Attempts to Surrender the City, is an illustrated short story arriving October 20, 2026, in the United States. Set roughly 700 years before her debut novel, it explores an earlier chapter of the same magical world.

For readers waiting to revisit Clarke’s England, the appeal is immediate: a bishop with political ambitions, an invading fairy host, and a journey toward the young Raven King.

What Is Susanna Clarke’s New Book About?

Durham is surrounded, and its bishop, Ranulf, needs a way to protect the people living there. The force enclosing the city, however, is a wood of trees rather than a conventional army.

Ranulf decides to seek out the leader of the fairy host. Saving human lives is one motivation; advancing his own position is another. That mixture gives the premise a welcome edge. A politician who thinks he can negotiate his way through a crisis may find that fairy power follows unfamiliar rules.

Bloomsbury’s U.S. description establishes the central dilemma and places the story centuries before Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell.

How Does It Connect to Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell?

The connection reaches into the history behind Clarke’s magical England.

The U.K. synopsis places the action in 1110 and identifies a teenage Raven King among the figures Ranulf hopes to encounter. His route leads toward a New Castle beside the River Tyne, through a landscape involving enchanted forests, difficult rivers and beings whose appearances cannot necessarily be trusted.

That earlier setting is the hook I find most interesting. Returning to a fantasy world can mean following familiar characters into another adventure. Here, the attraction is discovering what that world looked like before the events readers already know.

Readers who want a refresher on the original novel can visit our Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell review.

Is This a Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell Sequel?

The announced book is a prequel-era companion story. Its medieval setting precedes the original novel’s events.

Bloomsbury describes it as an illustrated short story and lists the hardback at 96 pages. Readers should approach it as a brief visit to this world, with a different scope from Clarke’s expansive debut.

For anyone deciding where it fits on their shelf, that format matters as much as the shared setting. A compact illustrated tale offers a different reading experience from a full-length historical fantasy.

When Does The Bishop of Durham Come Out?

Publication dates differ by market:

The U.K. edition listing also confirms an afterword by Clarke.

An audiobook is available to preorder too. Richard Armitage narrates the story, while Clarke reads her own afterword, according to Bloomsbury’s audiobook listing.

Where Should New Readers Start With Susanna Clarke?

My suggestion is to choose by the reading experience you want. Start with Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell if you want the larger historical fantasy that provides context for this return. Choose Piranesi if you would prefer to try a separate novel first.

Our Susanna Clarke books-in-order guide explains how her novels and shorter works fit together. You can also read our Piranesi review for more on that starting point.

What draws me to The Bishop of Durham Attempts to Surrender the City is its central predicament. A bishop wants to surrender, but even that apparently straightforward act becomes a journey into uncertainty. It is a promising premise for readers who enjoy fantasy in which wit and negotiation may matter as much as strength.

Planning to read it? Check the available editions on Amazon.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Books of Brilliance earns from qualifying purchases.

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