Folio Society Launches Nineteen Eighty-Four Limited Edition

The Folio Society today launched a limited edition of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, illustrated by independent design studio La Boca and introduced by novelist Elif Shafak.

The launch is accompanied by research from the publisher around the key themes in the novel as it relates to the current sociopolitical climate in the United States.

“Nineteen Eighty-Four is one of the most well-renowned dystopian novels of all time,” said Folio’s Head of Editorial, James Rose. “Set in the fictional Oceania, it illustrates a society rife with totalitarian practices and mass surveillance.” According to the survey, only one-third of Americans believe they have a functioning democracy. Less than a third of people aged 35-44 felt the country has a functioning democracy. Overall, one in five of those questioned think Americans are living in an even more dystopian society than that described in the book.

“Nineteen Eighty-Four is deeply relevant to today's disruptive political climate but it’s also an important reminder why we must keep these classic works alive,” said CEO of The Folio Society, Joanna Reynolds. Elif Shafak’s introduction presents George Orwell’s themes through a personal lens, herself having been prosecuted in Turkey for the Orwellian crime of ‘insulting Turkishness.’

This edition is presented in a mirrored box which forces you to look back at yourself. Inside, in addition to the book is a secret drawer where a print, stickers and patch are all hidden. The design plays with the novel's different voices, being set in two colors with Winston Smith's diary excerpts presented in red. It has been created with the full backing of The Orwell Foundation and is limited to 750 copies, available for $750.