From The Book Thief to Pompeii, these books are utterly stunning.
(Image credit: Folio Society)
The Folio Society has been making exquisite book cover art and illustrations for nearly 80 years now. And with its new Spring collection, they've outdone themselves – having received all of the new book design images – and one of the actual books – I just can't stop looking at them. They provide a perfect weekend dose of inspiration!
Artists range from traditional media to digital. It's great to see one of the artists is Julie Dillon, who I've worked with when I worked on the digital art magazine ImagineFX. As a digital artist, I've had many a conversation with her about her digital art set up, from what laptop for drawing he uses to her chosen monitor for graphic art. Her dreamlike images for the The King of Elfland’s Daughter book is one of many highlights in this book range.
Having received all this lovely eye candy, I asked a representative of Folio Society (they chose to speak as one) to tell me more about their Spring collection, and the artists that contributed.
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Pompeii by Robert Harris. Illustrated by Robert Carter(Image credit: Folio Society)
(Image credit: Folio Society)
(Image credit: Folio Society)
(Image credit: Folio Society)
(Image credit: Folio Society)
How many artists were commissioned this year's Spring collection, and how many artists do you work with in a year?
For this year’s Spring Collection, Folio collaborated with 7 exceptional artists, including Cristina Bencina, David Lupton, Michael Herr, Robert Carter, Alexis Deacon, Neil Bousfield and Julie Dillon.
Cristina, who worked on Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus, first caught our eye as a winner of the Folio Book Illustration Award with her stunning interpretation of Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Fliers of Gy. Supporting the illustration community and championing emerging talent is at the heart of what Folio does and the FBIA is global – artists from around the world have won.
In 2024 Folio commissioned 39 artists to bring all our books to life.
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The King of Elfland’s Daughter by Lord Dunsany. Illustrated by Julie Dillon(Image credit: Folio Society)
(Image credit: Folio Society)
(Image credit: Folio Society)
How long, on average, does it take an artist and Folio Society to complete a book project?
Our individually designed and illustrated hardback books are often years in the making, every one takes as long as it needs to get everything perfect. Right now, we’re working on titles that will be released all the way up to Autumn 2028.
How do you structure your collections?
We release four seasonal collections each year; Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Holiday. Each collection is carefully curated by our Publishing team to offer a mix of fiction and non-fiction, spanning a wide range of genres. Whether you’re drawn to literary classics, contemporary masterpieces, or thought-provoking non-fiction, we like to think there’s something for everyone in every collection.
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The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Illustrated by Alexis Deacon(Image credit: Folio Society)
(Image credit: Folio Society)
(Image credit: Folio Society)
What medium do the artists work in?
The artists we work with bring an extraordinary variety of techniques to their craft, from traditional lino and woodcuts to collage and digital artistry. Many blend classic methods with modern tools, enhancing hand-drawn elements with digital refinement.
Some, like Julie Dillon, illustrator of The Song of Achilles and The King of Elfland’s Daughter, and Kingsley Nebechi, illustrator of Noughts and Crosses, work predominantly with digital tools, from initial sketch through to the final illustration you see on the page. Others take a purely analogue approach, embracing the tactile nature of their materials.
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The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Illustrated by Cristina Bencina(Image credit: Folio Society )
(Image credit: Folio Society )
(Image credit: Folio Society )
(Image credit: Folio Society )
One such artist is Clive Hicks-Jenkins, who illustrated our sold-out limited edition of Beowulf. He has now taken on the monumental task of illustrating Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey for an upcoming edition. Describing his process, he shared:
"Techniques vary according to the demands of the images, but I largely rely on gouache overworked in pencil, though I love to use oil pastel when given the chance. Collage is always present, sometimes obvious and sometimes so subtly applied as to be invisible. I frequently use etching techniques to reverse dark lines on pale ground to pale lines on dark. Everything is analogue, made with brushes, paints, ink, pens and etching needles."
Each illustrator brings their own distinctive vision, ensuring that every Folio edition is not just a book, but a work of art.
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Cicero: Selected Letters & Speeches. Illustrated by Neil Bousfield(Image credit: Folio Society)
(Image credit: Folio Society)
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Beren has worked on creative titles at Future Publishing for over 13 years. Cutting his teeth as Staff Writer on the digital art magazine ImagineFX, he moved on to edit several creative titles, and is currently the Ecommerce Editor on the most effective creative website in the world. When he's not testing and reviewing the best ergonomic office chairs, phones, laptops, TVs, monitors and various types of storage, he can be found finding and comparing the best deals on the tech that creatives value the most.
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