Across time and geography, and regardless of gender, culture and language, one thing unites us: love. But love isn’t just hearts and flowers. It’s messy, hopeless, furious – even ridiculous. It’s lifelong and fleeting, forbidden and free, passionate and half-hearted. So, how did acclaimed British poet, artist and filmmaker Imtiaz Dharker go about selecting the 150 poems in Folio’s new anthology, Love Poems?
Scottish artist Rose Strang visited the Cairngorm Mountains seeking inspiration for her artwork to accompany The Living Mountain. Once she was home, she knew it was time to start painting, but how to capture the magic of Nan Shepherd’s incredible writing?
Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami’s magical realist books have sold millions of copies worldwide and earned him a reputation as one of the greatest contemporary authors. We were very excited indeed to be publishing his work, and Kafka on the Shore is the perfect introduction to a unique and addictive style. But how would we decipher this story of unsolved riddles in an illustrated edition?
Unicorns have not always been associated with glitter and sparkles. In fact, the beast held great religious significance in Western art before it was ever associated with youthfulness and innocence. Non-fiction publisher Mandy Kirkby traces the history of the unicorn, as told in John Cherry’s Mythical Beasts.
When Art Director Sheri Gee approached Rose Strang to illustrate The Living Mountain, the artist was thrilled. However, in order to carry out the commission, she would need to visit the mountains and there was the small issue of a national lockdown to overcome.
The Award is open to illustrators, student or professional, who have not previously been commissioned by The Folio Society, with the aim of finding, platforming and supporting new illustration talent from around the world.
This International Women’s Day we’re shining a literary light on some of our fantastic female authors and illustrators. From classic and contemporary fiction to ancient and natural history, here’s a selection of Folio books that are both written and illustrated by women.
Here are five of our favourite fictional characters, with ideas for easy outfits you can create at home. So, whether you’re a whizz with a sewing machine or you wave your child off in an outfit held together with sticky tape, they will all look and feel like literary legends. There’s a Folio edition of each book, so your child can read the story and take inspiration from the beautiful illustrations before World Book Day.
