To celebrate Jane Austen’s 250th birthday, The Folio Society has announced The Complete Novels by Jane Austen—a landmark, six-volume limited edition of all six of Austen’s major works. The new set is encased in delicately woven, silk-and-cotton covers and reimagined with breathtaking colour illustrations. Housed in a specially designed box, this edition is the definitive tribute to Jane Austen’s literary legacy.
New Illustrations Bring Austen’s World to Life
Illustrator Sarah Young gives Austen’s characters a fresh visual identity. Each volume includes a woodcut frontispiece, five linocut illustrations, and fifteen vignettes. Her work adds a folk-art feel that matches Austen’s 19th-century charm.
In addition, a custom monogram by Ruth Rowland enhances each volume. These artistic touches elevate the set into a visual and literary celebration.
Words from Renowned Writers and Historians
Each book includes a unique introduction. Notable authors such as Elena Ferrante, Sebastian Faulks, Fay Weldon, Val McDermid, and Siri Hustvedt offer insights into Austen’s themes and impact. Furthermore, historian Lucy Worsley contributes a newly written foreword, providing historical context and appreciation.
Fine Materials and Award-Winning Design
Every detail reflects the quality and care expected from The Folio Society. The volumes are bound in silk-and-cotton jacquard cloth, woven by Stephen Walters—the same silk maker who crafted fabric for Princess Diana’s wedding dress.
Moreover, graphic designer Emily Benton created the presentation box, covered in blocked cloth to protect and showcase the collection.
A Collector’s Dream, Limited to 750 Copies
Only 750 sets are available, making this a rare and valuable edition. The books are printed on Munken Pure paper, with gilded edges and ribbon markers. Each novel uses the first edition text, ensuring a reading experience as close as possible to Austen’s original publications.
Production Details
- Limited Box Set: 750 copies
- Six volumes: Sense and Sensibility (392 pages); Pride and Prejudice (400 pages); Mansfield Park (476 pages); Emma (496 pages); Northanger Abbey (260 pages); Persuasion (268 pages)
- Each volume includes a 2pp frontispiece, five illustrations, and fifteen vignettes spread throughout the text, illustrated in full color by Sarah Young
- Full bound in jacquard silk-and-cotton cloth woven by Stephen Walters
- Printed 4/4 throughout on Munken Pure paper
- Gilded on 3 edges
- Presented in a box designed by Emily Benton, covered in blocked cloth
- Monograms commissioned from Ruth Roland
- Limitation tip printed letterpress
- Ribbon marker
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