Life of Pi

Yann Martel

Illustrated by Violeta Encarnación

Introduced by the author

First Printing

A shipwreck, a boy, a Bengal tiger – and a story that will stay with you forever. This modern classic of survival, faith and imagination shimmers with Folio's lush, vibrant treatment that include illustrations by Violeta Encarnación.

£65.00
£65.00
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Editor’s Note
  1. Sophia Schoepfer, Editor

Shipwrecked and stranded at sea, a young boy and a fierce tiger are bound together in a desperate struggle for survival. Their journey on a makeshift raft is harrowing, but amid the peril moments of salvation appear in a shimmering storm of fish and a merciful downpour.

At its core, Life of Pi is not only a tale of adventure, but a poignant parable about faith, hope and the power of storytelling. Adapted into an acclaimed film and an award-winning play, this beloved novel is truly a contemporary classic.

This Folio edition, with a brand-new introduction by the author, is bursting with awe-inspiring illustrations by artist Violeta Encarnación. The cover is revealed through a slipcase that is slashed as though by a tiger's claws. Inside the book, Pi and Richard Parker's Pacific odyssey unfolds in a palette of inky blues, electric greens and deep oranges.

Set in Apollo

416 pages

4 full colour single-page illustrations, 2 double-page illustrations and black-and-white double page title-spread

Full bound in printed and blocked paper with the design by the artist

Printed and die-cut slipcase

‘That’s what the reader is invited to do: to find a story. And if you’re going to do that, then why not find the better story? This optimism is at the heart of Life of Pi.
  1. Yann Martel, from his introduction

A lifeboat. A boy. A Bengal tiger. Lost at sea, Pi Patel clings to survival through sheer will, bound by an uneasy truce with the ferocious Richard Parker. His journey is a meditation on faith, fear and the blurred line between myth and reality. As the Pacific stretches endlessly before him, Pi faces hunger, madness and the limits of belief. But when his tale is questioned, one truth remains: sometimes, the story you choose to believe is the one that keeps you alive.

About Yann Martel

Born in Spain in 1963, Yann Martel is best known for Life of Pi (2001, Folio 2025), the Booker Prize-winning novel that blends adventure with philosophical musings on faith and survival. Raised in Canada, he studied philosophy before turning to writing, a path that took him from short stories to globally celebrated novels. Life of Pi — which follows a boy stranded at sea with a tiger — became a modern classic, adapted into an award-winning film. Martel’s later works, including Beatrice and Virgil (2010) and The High Mountains of Portugal (2016), continue his fascination with storytelling, morality and the human condition. His prose, often rich with allegory, challenges readers to find deeper meaning in the seemingly impossible.

About Violeta Encarnación

Violeta Encarnación is a Cuban artist based in New York City, fascinated with telling stories through her work. She is a passionate, award-winning illustrator who enjoys traveling between physical materials, digital media and animation. Designing compositions that play with proportions and colours, while telling a story from an unexpected perspective is one of her favourite things to experiment with in her work. An avid plant lover who is always pushing the limit on how much green her apartment can take, and a culinary enthusiast on the weekends.

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