THE FOLIO SOCIETY

BEAUTIFUL ILLUSTRATED BOOKS

• About us
  • Our Founder
  • A Society of Booklovers
  • Our Editor
  • Beautiful Illustrations
  • Crafting fine books
  • Membership
  • Testimonials

Beautiful Illustrations

‘It’s extraordinary – the quality and range of illustration that The Folio Society has commissioned’ – Quentin Blake.

The illustrations are one of the chief pleasures of the books, and they are so varied that it is hard to give a true impression of their range.

Every style of illustration imaginable, and every medium has been adopted, from wood-engravings, lino-cuts, etchings and collages to sketches, watercolours, pastels and gouache. How a book is illustrated depends absolutely upon its character; sometimes traditional methods of illustration are appropriate, at others a daring and original approach is needed.

1. Original Artwork:

New artists have begun their careers on Folio Society pages, well-known ones have delighted in unusual opportunities – Beryl Cook’s paintings for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, for example, or Quentin Blake’s drawings for Cold Comfort Farm. Exciting illustrators like Angela Barrett, Niroot Puttapipat and Finn Campbell-Notman are illustrating new Folio books and from the quality of their work, it seems they are likely to go far.

2. Supporting Tradition:

Engraving, etching, lithograph and wood-cuts - these were once the epitome of fine editions. The Folio Society is the only mainstream publisher to regularly commission traditional artist-craftsmen who produce their own works using time-honoured techniques.

3. Preserving a Golden Age:

There are some illustrators who are so well-loved that to ignore their illustrations would be a crime. From William Blake to Arthur Rackham, these art-works are given new life in editions worthy of their merit. Whether the artist works in pencil or ink, paints in watercolour, oil, gouache or some other medium, we take the utmost care to ensure the highest possible quality of reproduction, and specify a variety of different papers to best suit the character of the work.

4. Bringing Non-fiction to Life

Our team of dedicated picture researchers seek out the most appropriate, illuminating and attractive images or if necessary commission new photography or maps. Many of the archive photography they discover has never previously been reproduced, while fine art reproductions are brought to new life in Folio books due to the care lavished on selecting the right paper and the detailed care of our colour-matching and printing processes.

Illustration Submissions

At The Folio Society we pride ourselves on using the best illustrators, carefully selected for each edition. If, after looking at our books, you feel your style would be suitable for us, please send examples of appropriate work in one of the following ways:

1. Send printed samples of your work to Illustration Submissions, The Folio Society, 44 Eagle Street, London, WC1R 4FS. If you require samples sent back, you must include a stamped addressed envelope. No applications can be accepted on CD or DVD.

2. Email a few lo-res jpegs of work (email not to exceed 6MB) or send a
a web-link to illustration@foliosociety.com.

We endeavour to reply to all submissions, as time allows.

‘It's a joy to be a member of The Folio Society. It makes me feel like I'm one of the family.’ Marcelle Pesek, Folio member, California read more... ‘The Folio edition of Midnight's Children is absolutely beautiful.’ Salman Rushdie read more... ‘I've just received the Folio edition of Remains of the Day, and wanted to say I'm absolutely delighted with it! It looks gorgeous, and I think the tone created by the artwork is just the right balance of humour and pathos.’ Kazuo Ishiguro read more... ‘Having been a member of The Folio Society for more than twenty-five years now, I would expect that I should hardly be surprised by anything the Society would do to attend to the needs of its members. Yet here I am, once again, amazed by the attention to detail which, I must say, continues to keep me in your thrall..’ Karl D. Reynolds, Folio member, New York read more... ‘I'd just like you to know that I received my first order today... and am thoroughly DELIGHTED with the high quality of every book. They're outstanding! I could not commend you (or recommend you) with greater enthusiasm. Many Thanks!’ James Schlagheck, Folio member, Maine read more...