Under £50

A beautiful edition of Tolkien's classic children's story. Leaving his comfortable hobbit hole Bilbo Baggins goes on a reluctant adventure to defeat a dragon, and along the way he encounters the vile, but pathetic Gollum, and his ‘Precious’ – a ring to rule them all.

One of the most significant works in English mysticism, and the first known book written in English by a woman.

Ever since Chaucer’s day, when the host of the Tabard Inn in Southwark rose to welcome the Canterbury Pilgrims with a joke, the After Dinner Speech, designed, if possible, to reduce the assembled company to helpless merriment, has presented the ultimate challenge.

With a preface by the Nobel Prize-winning author Wole Soyinka, this anthology collects folktales from across the African continent – including classic trickster tales like ‘Spider Outwits the Rich Woman’, and stories about navigating the complexities of life, such as ‘Never Ask Me About My Family’.

Orwell’s chilling farmyard parody of Soviet Russia is brought vividly to life with illustrations by Quentin Blake.

Richard Holmes presents an entertaining study of the extraordinary figures that changed the face of science.

Poe's curious and macabre novel, presented in a compact format and introduced by Marilynne Robinson.

Britain between the wars is brilliantly and entertainingly chronicled in this book by the author of Akenfield.

This elegant edition pays homage to one of the most revered voices of Russian literature. Introduced by the celebrated novelist Eimear McBride and illustrated with evocative photographs, this selection covers the full scope of Akhmatova's work, from her early poems to her later revolutionary pieces.

Tumbling headlong down a rabbit-hole, Alice enters the magical underground kingdom of Wonderland. These classic stories remain a childhood favourite.

Produced in series with Anne of Green Gables, this book sees L. M. Montgomery’s celebrated heroine growing into adulthood. Anne Shirley becomes a teacher and helps to raise young twins, but she remains the impulsive, imaginative heroine beloved by readers the world over.

Blending investigative journalism with the personal approach of a writer both fascinated and appalled by her subject, this is an award-winning portrait of life under ‘one of the most savage surveillance regimes ever known’. With previously unpublished photographs by the author.

A series of misunderstandings on a sultry summer’s day have terrible and far-reaching consequences. This is the first illustrated edition of Ian McEwan’s masterpiece.

Witty, tantalising and illuminating, John Aubrey’s great classic of biography allows a glimpse into a fascinating era, while humanising great figures of history such as Shakespeare, Francis Bacon and Thomas Hobbes.

A classic of 20th-century literature, Daphne du Maurier’s mesmerising ’study in jealousy’ has captivated readers for generations.

The sequel to The King Must Die sees a triumphant Theseus return to Athens and his throne, only to find his destiny beset by tragedy, desire and the uncertain will of the gods.

Nepotism, murder and debauchery abound in this gripping portrait of a family that bribed their way to power in Renaissance Italy. The first illustrated edition, this is designed in series with Hibbert's The Rise and Fall of the House of Medici.

This Folio edition, a facsimile of the British edition of 1909, contains 60 of The Brothers Grimm’s most famous tales, including ‘Snow White’, ‘Hansel and Gretel’ and ‘Red Riding Hood’.

Spectacular colour images illustrate this highly acclaimed exploration of space and time.

A vivid portrait of a post-Mao China, from one of the great travel writers.

Capote’s enchanting New York novella, introduced by Jay McInerney. With illustrations by Karen Klassen.

Now in its first illustrated edition, this seminal novel of slavery in America was awarded the Pulitzer Prize and ranked the greatest fiction work of the past 25 years.

In this fascinating study, historian Richard Barber examines the elaborate pomp and ceremony of the medieval court festival, revealing as he does so its wider cultural and political importance. This volume is published exclusively by The Folio Society.

Illustrator Victo Ngai has beautifully visualised eight of the stories in this fascinating collection that reflects the defining philosophies of Chinese culture. 

One of the most beloved children’s classics of all time tells the story of how a little girl named Fern, with the help of a kind spider, saved one special pig.

Burgess's iconic novel, presented in a new edition introduced by Irvine Welsh.

One of the most fascinating women in history, brilliantly re-examined in a stellar biography.

A handsome edition of the first James Bond novel, with an introduction by John Banville.

Set during the Alaskan gold rush of 1897, Jack London's classic adventure story inspired Kerouac and Orwell. In this Folio edition, Abigail Rorer's drawings depict the fierce beauty of the frozen Yukon. David Vann introduces.