The Corset & Jellyfish: A Conundrum of Drabbles

“[Bantock] is a highly imaginative and ebulliently romantic illustrator and storyteller.” — Booklist The internationally bestselling author of Griffin & Sabine returns with his newest literary mystery—a charming assemblage of his own illustrated stories. Each of the invitingly strange tales is paired with its own glyphic creature (perhaps created by Sabine herself?). Each accompanying story, the origin of which is unknown, totals exactly one-hundred words. These delightful “drabbles,” enjoyable in any sequence, allow the reader to bask in them—or even to solve the conundrum they imply. Little is known of the fascinating manuscript that Nick Bantock has come to possess. It was discovered in an attic in North London, stuffed into a battered cardboard box, and unceremoniously delivered directly to Nick’s doorstep. Inside the package lay one hundred evocatively absurd stories, one hundred humorous drawings of strangely familiar, quirkish glyphs, plus a cryptically poetic note signed only as “HH.” (Possibly the well-known, eccentric billionaire, Hamilton Hasp?) In these stories-each consisting of precisely 100 words-strange creatures slip through alleyways, and eerie streets swallow people whole. Taken altogether, they may constitute a puzzle that no one has been able to solve thus far. Could there even be one missing story? For those perceptive readers with a curious mind, the celebrated author of Griffin & Sabine cordially invites you to find your own path through his beguiling conundrum of drabbles—or even to contribute one of your very own. Bestselling and beloved author and artist Nick Bantock (Griffin & Sabine) shows off his considerable storytelling charm in this adorably odd, hardcover of one hundred 100-word stories, each accompanied by an endearingly quirky iconographic illustration The illustrations, known as petroglyphs or Familiars, appear in the Griffin & Sabine books, and Bancock drew the precursors to many of them on Sabine’s postcards The Corset & the Jellyfish will appeal to readers of literary playfulness and comdedic absurdity, as well as to Bantock’s existing fans. Canadian and U.S. marketing plan to include review copies to leading media outlets; author events and appearances; book launch; Instagram and blog tour; podcasts, radio, features, and interviews