I was lucky enough to be invited to preview the Folio 2018 Christmas Collection at their offices in London on 16th October along with Kerrie from over at ilovedreadingthis.

Again we were hosted by Melanie and Vicki, who both work in PR and Digital Marketing who are so knowledgeable about every aspect of the books, from the illustrations to the publishing process and encouraged us to pick them up and look at them.  Also there this time was Tom whose job it is to look at future projects, and although he wouldn’t give much away, he was quite happy to take suggestions for future ideas!

We also learnt about the competition they run every year to give illustrators a chance to be published in a Folio book – although my drawing skills are non-existent, I thought it was a good idea!  This year the winner was Max Löffler who illustrated the new Sherlock Holmes collection.

Yet again the collection is beautiful – the books are so well thought out, from the slipcases, to the covers and illustrations. I’d quite happily own them all!

The collection includes 18 new titles:

The Complete Poems for Christopher Robin by A. A. Milne
The Complete Poems for Christopher Robin celebrates A. A. Milne’s two enduring children’s poetry volumes.

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

One of the best-selling and most widely read books of all time, in this new Folio Society edition Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty is introduced by Michael Morpurgo and embellished with nostalgic illustrations by Annette Hamley-Jenkins.

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon

Experience The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay with this special collector’s edition. Featuring illustrations by comics artist Chris Samnee, Michael Chabon’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is also introduced by Michael Moorcock.

Tales of the Greek Heroes
Stephen Fry introduces the new Folio Society edition of Tales of the Greek Heroes, with Roger Lancelyn Green’s epic quests vividly illustrated by Romy Blümel.

The Four Gospels Engravings by Eric Gill
One of the most beautiful and beloved books of the Private Press movement, and a showcase for Eric Gill’s engravings and typeface, The Four Gospels is reproduced as an exquisite new Folio Society edition.

His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman

A magnificent Folio Society edition of a worldwide phenomenon. The award-winning trilogy His Dark Materials in a stunning fully illustrated hardback edition.

Hangman’s Holiday by Dorothy L. Sayers
The second Dorothy L. Sayers collection from Folio brings together more addictive mysteries starring gentleman sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey and his travelling salesmen counterpart, Montague Egg. Illustrated by Folio favourite Paul Cox.

The Selected Adventures and Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

A stunning new Folio Society collection of Arthur Conan Doyle’s most compelling cases, The Selected Adventures and Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes is given a contemporary twist with Max Löffler’s unsettling illustrations.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist has touched the lives of millions of people. In this spectacular first Folio Society edition, Jesús Cisneros’s stunning illustrations work in perfect harmony with the narrative.  A video showing Jesús Cisneros talking about his work is available here.

Middlemarch by George Eliot
George Eliot’s Middlemarch is an ambitious account of a fast-changing world. The new Folio Society edition is an exquisite production of one of the greatest English novels in history.

Outlaws of the Marsh (The Water Margin) by Shi Nai’an
Shi Nai’an’s classic Chinese novel Outlaws of the Marsh (The Water Margin) is beautifully presented in a new Folio Society edition and illustrated with 141 images that capture the quests and battles.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Published by The Folio Society for the first time, Of Mice and Men is John Steinbeck’s electrifying tale of injustice and shattered dreams, set during the Great Depression.

The Folio Book of Children’s Poetry

The Folio Book of Children’s Poetry is an eclectic and thought-provoking collection chosen to amuse, entertain and challenge young readers – from classic Wordsworth to the inimitable Dahl.

The Spy’s Bedside Book by Graham and Hugh Greene
Graham and Hugh Greene expose the clandestine world of espionage in The Spy’s Bedside Book, illustrated with the meticulous and mysterious drawings of Nick Hardcastle.

The Folio Book of Science Edited by Professor Alice Roberts
The Folio Book of Science is the first anthology of science writing equally weighted between male and female authors, selected by scientist, author and broadcaster Professor Alice Roberts.

S.P.Q.R.  A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard
The definitive account of ancient Rome by acclaimed historian Mary Beard vividly depicts ordinary Roman lives and contains more than 45 full-colour images specially selected for the Folio edition of S.P.Q.R.

Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein

Legendary SF artist Stephen Hickman brings every inch of frenetic science-fiction action to the page in the first illustrated edition of Robert A. Heinlein’s Hugo Award-winning Starship Troopers. Introduced by Joe Haldeman.

Diamonds Are Forever by Ian Fleming
Ian Fleming’s superspy returns in Diamonds Are Forever, the sixth volume of our James Bond collection, with Fay Dalton’s artwork oozing glamour and danger.

They are all beautiful as you’d expect from Folio but my absolute favourites are The Folio Book of Children’s Poetry (the illustrations, end papers and glow in the dark book sleeve are just stunning) and Starship Troopers (the foil on the sleeve is beautiful and the page edges are blue foiled – just gorgeous!).

Our gift bag at the end of the evening contained the 2019 Folio Diary, filled with amazing illustrations.  The year begins with one of the Balbusso Twins’ stunning graphic illustrations from our new edition of Atlas Shrugged.  Victo Ngai’s sensual scene from the limited edition Kama Sutra is reproduced in February, with Valentine’s Day in mind, while March has a sci-fi theme with a Kit Russell duotone from We. The year progresses with a 1930s’ inspired woodcut from Harry Brockway and a disquieting image from The Folio Book of Horror Stories. Finally, we bring our artistic year to a close with a dreamlike Yuko Shimizu illustration from Japanese Tales.

 

The new collection can be found (and ordered) from here – https://www.foliosociety.com/uk/new