Trideset prvi juni

In the Arthurian kingdom of Peradore, Princess Melicent looks into a magic mirror and falls in love with the man she sees. He is Sam Penty, an artist working for a London advertising agency, centuries removed from her world. When magic connects their lives, modern habits are tested against the demands of chivalric adventure.

The Thirty-First of June is a satirical fairy tale bringing two ages together. Princesses, sorcerers and dangerous knights encounter the logic of advertising, enterprise and progress. Sam’s love for Melicent requires more than romantic enthusiasm: he must face obstacles belonging to the world of heroic quests.

Priestley’s impossible date signals a departure from ordinary rules. The humour springs from the collision of knightly ideals and modern pragmatism, while the fantastic premise invites readers to question what different societies regard as sensible and desirable.

Both a romantic adventure and a parody of chivalric storytelling, the novel offers light social satire beneath its playful surface. It will appeal to readers of British comedy, imaginative journeys through time and fairy tales with something to say to adults.