A Game of Thrones is presented in a spectacular collector’s edition - the first release in the Folio Society series of George R. R. Martin’s ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’.
Beowulf (Limited Edition)
Illustrated by Clive Hicks-Jenkins
Introduced by Janina Ramirez
Translated by Seamus Heaney
Limited to 750 hand-numbered copies
Seamus Heaney’s deeply felt interpretation, widely acknowledged as the greatest Beowulf translation of modern times, is presented in parallel with the Old English verse in this fabulous Folio edition. Featuring extraordinary illustrations by Clive Hicks-Jenkins and an exclusive introduction by Janina Ramirez, each of the 750 numbered copies has been signed by both contributors.
CA$1,120.00
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‘[Seamus Heaney’s] translation is a gift to anyone wanting to access the mystique and magic of the poem’s world.’
- Janina Ramirez, from her introduction
The most beautiful of all surviving Old English poems tells of the heroic deeds of Beowulf, warrior of high renown and leader of the Geats, who sails to the land of the Danes to halt the rampant bloodlust of the grim monster Grendel, fiend of hell, and of his vengeful hell-bride mother. After epic encounters the formidable superhero returns to his own land and becomes a wise and honoured king but, inescapably marked by fate, the ageing Beowulf is destined to face a third dread foe – the dragon.
Expertly bound in goatskin leather blocked in metallic blue and gold foils, this magnificent limited edition is printed in two colours throughout and glimmers with gold on the top page edges. Historian and best-selling author Janina Ramirez has contributed a stimulating introduction and Clive Hicks-Jenkins’ powerful illustrative scheme includes two exquisite page borders, eight double-page spreads and a striking print for framing.
Limited to 750 hand-numbered copies
Bound in goatskin leather blocked in metallic blue and gold foils
Letterpress-printed limitation tip signed by Clive Hicks-Jenkins and Janina Ramirez
304 pages set in Bembo Arcadian
Printed in two colours throughout on Arena Natural paper
11 illustrations including 8 double-page spreads
Illustrated title page
Gilded page tops
Ribbon marker
Printed endpapers
Clamshell presentation box covered in blocked Saphir cloth and lined with printed Sirio paper
14˝ x 10˝
Print with presentation folder
That Beowulf survives is almost miraculous. Composed between the 7th and 10th centuries AD and drawing on an oral tradition closely connected to the Icelandic sagas, the poem existed in just one 11th-century manuscript. Its brittle pages, damaged by fire and water, revealed a glimpse of the Anglo-Saxon world, a mingling of pagan past and Christian present that vanished with the Norman Conquest. Such is the frail foundation of a work championed by Tolkien and now seen as part of the bedrock of English literature; its tales of gilded banqueting halls, brave warrior-heroes, fantastic monsters and treasure-hoarding dragons remain unceasingly influential.
‘I consider Beowulf to be part of my voice-right.’
- Seamus Heaney, from his introduction
Nobel Prize-winning poet Seamus Heaney first engaged with Beowulf some 35 years before he finally produced his award-winning translation. In his fascinating introduction, included in Folio’s edition, he explores his linguistic relationship with the poem with exquisite sensibility. Passionate about the directness of the narrative and the language, Heaney found the project all-consuming, and the result is something quite exceptional, a great work in its own right. Readers will gain immeasurably from seeing the Old English set side by side with his translation in Folio’s limited edition.
Let whoever can
win glory before death. When a warrior is gone, that will be his best and only bulwark.
Clive Hicks-Jenkins has created striking illustrations of extraordinary depth and texture to accompany the poem. His fabulous artwork, all completed entirely by hand, superbly reflects the tone and atmosphere of the verse. With remarkable skill, scenes are brought vividly to life using just two printed colours from a palette of blue, black and white. The artist’s powerful illustrative scheme includes two splendid page borders, eight double-page spreads, three half-page illustrations and a stunning print for framing.
Bestselling author and cultural historian Janina Ramirez is the perfect guide to the fantastical world of Beowulf. In her introduction, specially commissioned by the Folio Society, she sets the poem in the context of the Early Medieval period, an era of creativity and vibrancy, full of colour and light. Exploring the fascination that Beowulf has exerted for more than a millennium, Ramirez pays tribute to the beauty and musicality of Old English poetic forms and considers the importance of the gift that is Heaney’s translation.
‘Beowulf has somehow defied all other Old English texts to become recognised as the nation’s first epic.’
- Janina Ramirez, from her introduction
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