RAR #279: Baptizing the Imagination with Malcolm Guite

What is your calling in life? For poet, songwriter, and academic, Malcolm Guite, it’s unequivocally clear–to be a storyteller. Today on the podcast Audrey and I chat with Malcolm about the first volume in his new retelling of the classic King Arthur stories, Galahad and the Grail, illustrated by the incredible Stephen Crotts and published by our friends over at Rabbit Room Press. Not only is Malcolm adapting the legends of King Arthur, he’s doing it in poetic ballad form, which means they are basically designed to be read aloud. In our conversation, he tells us about the epic journey he and his publisher and illustrator undertook to visit sites connected to the Arthurian legends, how a childhood surrounded by books and stories led him to his lifelong love and study of literature and poetry, and the impact his own mother had on his journey to becoming a poet and storyteller. In this episode, you’ll hear: Why Malcolm chose to write this story in ballad form How woodland walks inspire Malcolm’s writing and why he knew it was time to “take up the tale” What elements and parallels of Biblical stories Malcolm wanted to restore that have often been left out of modern Arthurian retellings Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read-Aloud Revival Waxwing Books

You can listen to RAR #279: Baptizing the Imagination with Malcolm Guite online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

RAR #279: Baptizing the Imagination with Malcolm Guite is an episode from Read-Aloud Revival by Sarah Mackenzie.

This episode is 44:15 long.

This episode was published on Apr 16, 2026.

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