Unique, exquisite and in runs of fewer than a thousand: Folio's limited editions are the very pinnacle of the bookmaker's art.

First published in Folio magazine in 2020, this article goes behind the scenes of our Limited Editions, exploring the extraordinary craftsmanship, creativity and experimentation involved in bringing some of Folio’s most ambitious books to life.

All Folio editions are special, with an attention to detail spanning design, choice of materials, specialist printing and binding techniques. But some volumes ‘just have that extra-special something,’ says Production Director, Kate Grimwade. Welcome to the rarefied world of the limited edition, so artistically exacting and labour-intensive that fewer than nine titles are selected for such treatment each year. Created in runs of between 250 and 1000, and often with a multitude of handmade details, these limited editions are the very epitome of the bookmaker’s art.

Over the years, Folio Limited Editions have spanned a remarkable spectrum, from children’s classic The Story of Babar to ambitious volumes like A Game of Thrones, whose 'dragon leather' bindings evoke a tome that wouldn't look out of place in the Citadel of George R. R. Martin's Westeros. Then there is the exquisite five-book facsimile of Kitagawa Utamaro’s Studies from Nature (now out of print), which Grimwade rates as ‘the most complex production to date, and “perhaps the thing I’m most proud of”.’

One incredibly special limited edition worked on by the team was Madame Bovary, Flaubert’s masterpiece of moral tragedy. ‘This is a book by a fine artist – a very different genre from the illustrations and linocuts that we often work with, and part of that “How do we make this extra-special?” process,’ says Grimwade. Art Director Sheri Gee identified the acclaimed French painter Nushka as the perfect match for this vision, and her radiant oil paintings are the most visually striking element of this sumptuous edition.

Nushka’s 12 glowing canvases, created from painstakingly costumed photo shoots, are interleaved through the volume as colour plates, as a signed print, and on the cover, printed directly on to silk – initially suggested by Gee, this feat was a first for Folio: testament to how its creative teams push the boundaries of bookmaking. As Grimwade says, ‘We often start off thinking “We know we can do this, but could we possibly do that?”’

Once selected, the silk had to be backed and trimmed, to make it flat enough for printing – and robust enough for binding. The usual paper digital proofs were of no help, so several print tests on the silk were required to capture Nushka’s art faithfully. Finally, one last challenge received a very limited-edition solution. The silk was still curling at the bindery so the decision was taken to make each cover by hand.

It means, Farquhar says proudly, ‘that since each piece of natural silk is different, and each cover is hand-produced, every single binding of Madame Bovary is unique’.

While luxurious bindings and gorgeous illustrations may be the qualities most readily associated with Folio editions, its editors select their textual material – the words – with no less care. Lewis, therefore, turned to superstar Norwegian writer Karl Ove Knausgård, the acclaimed and controversial memoirist, to write the introduction. ‘Knausgård is as modern and as much an artist, now, as Flaubert was when he wrote Bovary,’ says Lewis. ‘I wanted to show how contemporary this book is, how the conversation about modern life can be carried on within and around it.’

The author – who has deemed Bovary to be ‘the perfect novel, and ... the best novel that has ever been written’ – accepted Lewis’s invitation without hesitation. And his exclusive introduction didn’t disappoint. ‘I was delighted to find we had both a slice of that inimitable Knausgård style and a brand-new take on why Madame Bovary matters as much as ever,’ says Lewis.

This, then, is the journey of just one Folio Limited Edition – and an example of the extraordinary work that goes into creating these books. More join this exclusive list each year, but in accordance with their ‘limited’ nature, titles disappear as the last available copies are snapped up by connoisseurs. Indeed, while many purchases are one-off investments – a gift for a special occasion, or the personal treat of a treasured favourite – ‘there is a coterie of collectors who look specifically for the limited editions,’ says James Rose, Folio’s commissioning editor with overall responsibility for these valuable volumes.

For a limited edition, all bets are off. The Folio team will do everything that is necessary, whether that is visiting an archive or museum on the other side of the world to consult an original copy, or scouring galleries, international art fairs and graduation shows to discover exciting visual talent to illustrate it – whatever it takes to make the production worthy of the Folio limited edition title.