Larkwing Books was founded in 1921 by Arthur Merrin, younger brother of the noted classical scholar and Arcadian poet Jermyn Huxtable Merrin. Where J. H. devoted himself to the revival of pastoral verse, Arthur channelled the same spirit of curiosity into craftsmanship and publishing. He believed that books should be made with care, printed beautifully, and offered to readers as lasting companions.
From its earliest days in Saffron Walden, Larkwing specialised in folklore, local history, and slim volumes of poetry y — the kinds of books that larger houses overlooked but readers cherished. Arthur’s editorial philosophy was simple: publish what is thoughtful, unusual, and made to endure.
A Family Tradition (1950-1989)
Arthur’s son James Merrin succeeded him, expanding the press’s reputation for meticulous typesetting and hand-finished bindings. Under James’s stewardship, Larkwing became known for its quiet independence: a publisher that followed its own tastes rather than the market’s whims.
In 1947, James signed a young illustrator and aspiring author named Margaret Moore, whose first book, The Lantern in the Lane was published that same year.
Although Lantern was not a major commercial success, James recognised something rare in Moore’s writing—a blend of pastoral gentleness, mythic undertones, and emotional clarity. He encouraged her to continue, and in 1948 she delivered the manuscript that would change Larkwing’s future: The Elf and the Orc, the first in a sequence of more than twenty books which that would delight children for generations.
Moore’s stories, with their mixture of whimsy, sincerity, and quiet moral intelligence became the backbone of Larkwing’s mid‑century identity. They were never flashy bestsellers, but they were beloved — passed from parent to child, read aloud in classrooms, tucked into library shelves where they were discovered again and again.
James Merrin shepherded Moore’s career for decades, and her books became the press’s most enduring legacy.
In 1988, nearing the end of her life, Margaret Moore published her final book with Larkwing: The Cottage Beyond the Gate. Unlike her earlier works, this was aimed at an adult audience — contemplative, elegiac, and quietly revelatory.
Reflecting on the book, Moore said:
“At last I was able to show Elf and Orc as they truly were.”
Readers understood immediately what she meant. The gentle, child‑friendly versions of Elf and Orc had always been only one facet of a more profound relationship — one she had been unable to depict openly in mid‑century children’s publishing.
In The Cottage Beyond the Gate, she finally revealed that Elf and Orc were more than best friends. Their bond, hinted at for decades, was shown in its full emotional truth: a partnership built on devotion, courage, and lifelong love.
The book ends with their wedding — a moment of quiet joy and fulfillment that Moore had carried in her imagination since the earliest drafts of her stories. It is a tender, understated conclusion, and one that reframes her entire body of work.
The Cottage Beyond the Gate stands as the capstone of Moore’s career: the book in which she finally allowed her mythic world to speak in its full voice, without compromise.
A Change of Hands (1990): The Stewardship of Edward Merrin
After the publication of The Cottage Beyond the Gate in 1988, James Merrin began preparing to retire. He had shepherded Margaret Moore’s entire career, overseen the rise of Larkwing’s most beloved series, and maintained the press’s reputation for craftsmanship and quiet independence for more than forty years.
In 1990, James formally stepped down and passed the press to his son, Edward Merrin.
Edward’s tenure is often described as a period of stewardship. He inherited a catalogue rich with legacy — Margaret Moore’s complete sequence, the pastoral and folklore titles of earlier decades, and the distinctive Larkwing aesthetic that readers recognised instantly. Edward saw his role not as a radical innovator but as a caretaker: someone who would preserve the press’s identity while gently guiding it into the modern publishing landscape.
Under Edward, Larkwing remained small, selective, and deeply loyal to its traditions. He maintained the press’s commitment to thoughtful fantasy, folklore, and literary gentleness, ensuring that the books continued to feel like companions rather than commodities. He also kept Moore’s works in print, allowing new generations to discover Elf and Orc — now understood, thanks to The Cottage Beyond the Gate, in their full emotional truth.
Edward’s stewardship laid the groundwork for the revival that would come in the next generation, when the cultural aftershocks of Moore’s work — and the unexpected rise of the Hot Melion phenomenon — would bring Larkwing back into national attention.
By the late 2010s, Edward Merrin had guided Larkwing through nearly three decades of steady stewardship. He had kept the press small, selective, and true to its traditions — preserving Margaret Moore’s legacy, maintaining the distinctive Larkwing aesthetic, and ensuring that the press remained a home for thoughtful, unusual books.
But the world was changing. A new generation of readers had rediscovered Moore’s work. The Elf and Orc books were finding fresh life in schools, libraries, and — unexpectedly — university meme culture. The Hot Melion phenomenon was beginning to ripple outward.
It was time for the next chapter.
Jamie Takes the Helm
In 2021, Edward’s son Jamie became the fourth generation to lead Larkwing Books. Jamie had grown up among the press’s archives — the old typesetting stones, the boxes of correspondence, the early proofs of Moore’s manuscripts — but he arrived with a distinctly modern sensibility.
Where Edward had been a steward, Jamie was a reviver.
He brought new energy, new ambition, and a deep affection for the press’s eccentricities. He understood that Larkwing’s strength lay not in chasing trends, but in embracing the peculiar, the heartfelt, and the quietly mythic. Under Jamie, the press began to expand its list again, publishing new fantasy, new folklore, and new literary fiction while honouring the century‑old ethos of care and craft.
Elio Ferrante‑Merrin Joins the Story
Shortly after taking over the press, Jamie met Elio Ferrante, whose background in design, archiving, and cultural folklore proved transformative. When Jamie and Elio became partners — in life and in work — Larkwing entered a new era.
Elio brought:
- a refined visual sensibility
- a curator’s instinct for history
- a love of myth, marginalia, and cultural oddities
- and a deep respect for the press’s past
He restored the classic Larkwing emblem. He redesigned the house style with clean, modern typography. He catalogued the entire Larkwing archive, including Margaret Moore’s papers. And, famously, he discovered Jamie’s box of Hot Melion memorabilia — which he promptly had framed and hung in the office as a celebration of Larkwing’s unexpected place in modern folklore.
A New Wingbeat
Together, Jamie and Elio have guided Larkwing into its second century with a blend of tradition and renewal. Their first major publication, A Primer of Accidents and Syntax, marks the beginning of a new era: one that honours Arthur Merrin’s founding vision while embracing the strange, joyful mythologies that readers have built around the press’s books.
Today, Larkwing Books remains:
- proudly independent
- proudly peculiar
- proudly rooted in Saffron Walden
Still carrying forward the belief that a book is not merely a story, but a companion — a conversation across time.