2020 Catalogue
Index 4 / Fiction 10 / Non-Fiction 16 / Children’s
Fiction ‘A Folio Society edition is, I reckon, as excellent an accolade as any author can achieve these days.’ -Stephen Fry
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ounded in London in 1947, The Folio Society publishes carefully crafted editions of the world’s finest literature. We believe that great books deserve to be presented in a form worthy of their contents. For over 70 years we have celebrated the unique joy to be derived from owning, holding and reading a beautiful printed edition.
Beautifully crafted, imaginative editions of the world’s great works of fiction and non-fiction,
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Folio Society books offer a rich literary experience to readers of all ages.
The books we select for publication are timeless – we know they will be enjoyed and appreciated now and in the future. Because each book is considered as an individual object of value in its own right, there is a variety to our aesthetic – the only uniformity is in the quality of every single book.
Brave New World Aldous Huxley
Illustrated by Finn Dean Introduced by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall Anne Brontë Illustrated by Valentina Catto Introduced by Tracy Chevalier
Murder on the Orient Express Agatha Christie Illustrated by Andrew Davidson
Aldous Huxley’s iconic novel,
Published to mark the 200th
One of the most celebrated
with illustrations by Finn Dean,
anniversary of Anne Brontë’s birth,
Hercule Poirot novels, famed for
winner of the Book Illustration
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall completes
its ingenious setting, carousel of
Competition. Ursula K. Le Guin
the Folio collection of the Brontë
suspects and startling dénouement.
introduces.
sisters’ most distinguished titles.
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Northanger Abbey
Little Women
Illustrated by Jonathan Burton Introduced by Val McDermid
Illustrated by Rebecca Green Introduced by Jane Gardam
Jane Austen
Louisa May Alcott
The last of Austen’s novels to be published,
Alcott’s unforgettable tale,
this is a tongue-in-cheek tale of the hazards
with eye-catching illustrations
of female friendship and undesirable suitors.
by Rebecca Green.
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limited edition
Fiction
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Dracula
Bram Stoker Illustrated by Angela Barrett Introduced by John Banville
There can be few novels as influential as Bram Stoker’s much-adapted vampire tale.
Limited to 750 hand-numbered copies For this, the ultimate collector’s edition, artist Angela Barrett Bound in blood-red leather and lavishly illustrated, this new
has produced 15 intensely atmospheric colour plates, a set
edition of Dracula, limited to just 750 hand-numbered
of elaborate hand-drawn borders, nine black-and-white
copies each signed by Angela Barrett, is a fitting tribute to
tailpieces, and a pair of striking designs on the venous red
a gothic masterpiece.
leather binding and black cloth-covered slipcase.
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Non-Fiction ‘Folio books are such joy ... to be cherished, handled with pleasure, read and reread and handed down to the next generation’
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P. D. James
Folio book is a unique object, one in which typography, illustration, paper, and printing and binding techniques all play a part in creating a harmonious whole. The Folio Society has celebrated the particular joy to be derived from owning, holding and reading a beautiful printed edition.
In the digital age, information is served to us instantaneously. Success is measured by speed, and we can dispose of the written word at the click of a mouse. This is why Folio books are the perfect tonic. We offer the reader an opportunity to pause and reflect; to spend time appreciating beauty and wisdom.
Our aim is to create books that are unique in their aesthetic and in their quality – this is what makes a Folio collection something to cherish.
The books we select for publication are timeless – and in the editions we produce, they will be enjoyed and valued now and in generations to come.
Joan of Arc
Helen Castor
A General History of the Robberies & Murders of the Most Notorious Pirates
The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci
Captain Charles Johnson
Introduced by Margarette Lincoln
Introduced by Charles Nicholl Preface by Edward MacCurdy Translated by Edward MacCurdy
Fearless warrior, religious fanatic,
The bloodthirsty biographies of the
Commemorating the 500th
fierce patriot: the familiar story of
world’s most infamous pirates are
anniversary of the death of
Joan of Arc is remarkably retold in
reproduced in this new edition of the
Leonardo da Vinci, this magnificent
Helen Castor’s best-selling acco
pre-eminent piracy book, including
Folio collector’s edition reveals
unt, now presented in an incredible
original woodcut illustrations and
his brilliance in three beautifully
Folio Society edition.
the lives of Blackbeard, Kidd and
illustrated volumes with stunning
many more.
gold-blocked bindings.
Preface by the author
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The Vikings
The Celts
Gwyn Jones dispels the myths of an empire
A captivating edition of the classic survey
built on terror and tyranny, in The Vikings;
of the rise and spread of the Celts, with new
now in its seventh Folio Society printing.
colour photography.
Gwyn Jones Introduced by Magnus Magnusson
Nora Chadwick Introduced by Barry Cunliffe
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limited edition
Non-Fiction
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Japan
Described and Illustrated by the Japanese Limited to 1,000 hand-numbered copies
One of the most opulent pictorial books ever published,
Chiyogami endpapers hand-printed in Japan
Japan, produced at the end of the 19th century, captures a
Gilded on all three page edges
vanished world in 259 hand-coloured photographs. This is
Presented in cloth-bound slipcases
the first time this landmark work has been reproduced in
Hand-numbered on a special limitation page
its entirety in two luxurious volumes.
Volume I: 304 pages
Bound in full cloth, blocked in three colours with a design
Volume II: 312 pages
by Neil Gower.
Both volumes measure 16” x 12½”
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Children’s
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‘It is always a great day when I see a package from The Folio Society waiting on my door step in which I suddenly become like a child on Christmas morning.’ Castilo Montoya, USA
olio editors lavish care and attention on each
experience of their favourite books.
individual book in a way that other publishing
And for additional insight, we select introducers to act
companies simply cannot afford to do. Because
as the reader’s companion, whetting the appetite and
the range of books we publish is so diverse, so too is
setting the book and its author in context.
our approach. From choosing the best translations to
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negotiating revisions with authors; from fact-checking at
Peter Ackroyd, Irvine Welsh, Colm Tóibín, Margaret
specialist libraries across the world to emending textual
Atwood, Tom Holland, Saul David, Jenny Uglow and Julian
imperfections, which often creep into modern editions of
Barnes are just some of the acclaimed writers who have
classic works, we aspire to give our readers an enhanced
recently contributed to Folio publications.
The Hundred and One Dalmatians
The Little Prince
This fantastical Folio edition of Diana
Dodie Smith’s classic children’s tale,
A definitive two-volume edition
Wynne Jones’s enchanting tale features
The Hundred and One Dalmatians, in
of Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s The
artwork by Folio’s 2019 Book Illustration
a stunning Folio collector’s edition,
Little Prince featuring his original
Competition winner.
lavishly illustrated by the award-
and unforgettable illustrations.
Howl’s Moving Castle
Diana Wynne Jones Illustrated by Marie-Alice Harel Introduced by Marcus Sedgwick
Dodie Smith Illustrated by Sara Ogilvie Introduced by Jacqueline Wilson
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Illustrated by the author Introduced by Stacy Schiff Translated by Richard Howard Commentary Volume by Christine Nelson
winning Sara Ogilvie.
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The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Little White Horse
L. Frank Baum Illustrated by Sara Ogilvie Introduced by Maria Tatar
Elizabeth Goudge Illustrated by Debra McFarlane Introduced by Jane Shilling
In 1900, a former travelling salesman published a
Upon arrival at Moonacre Manor, Maria
book about a girl from Kansas and her adventures in
discovers an enchanted valley where she
a strange land. It soon became one of the best-loved
catches a glimpse of a most unusual horse.
children’s stories of all time, with generations of
So begins a magical adventure that has
children growing up with Dorothy, the Wicked Witch
captivated generations of readers,
of the West and, of course, Toto.
young and old.
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limited edition
Children’s
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Cinderella & The Sleeping Beauty
Illustrated by Arthur Rackham Limited to 750 hand-numbered copies Retold by C. S. Evans Facsimiles of the original de luxe editions published in 1919 and 1920 and illustrated throughout in silhouette.
These delightful retellings of classic fairytales have been faithfully recreated from copies first published in 1919 and 1920. Cinderella is a facsimile of number 54 from the original Edition de luxe of 850 copies and The Sleeping Beauty, published a year later, is a facsimile of number 618 of
A limited edition of two masterpieces of silhouette
625 copies. The facsimiles, with matching numbers from
illustration by Arthur Rackham, a giant of the Golden
our limitation of 750, are housed together in an elegant
Age of illustration.
presentation box.
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