Book News
The Folio Society To Publish A Limited Edition of Stephen King’s IT, Featuring An All-New Introduction by Guillermo Del Toro And Illustrations by Award-Winning Artist Jim Burns
No Laughing Matter
One of Stephen King’s most popular and iconic novels, IT was first published in 1986. The book went on to win the British Fantasy Award in 1987, was adapted into several films, and firmly established its creepy clown antagonist as a massively influential part of the pop-culture lexicon. Now the Folio Society, independent publisher of beautifully illustrated hardback books, will publish a limited illustrated edition of Stephen King’s seminal classic IT, featuring chilling illustrations by award-winning artist Jim Burns as well as an all-new introduction by Guillermo Del Toro…
Limited to just 500 copies, the stunning edition features 11 double-page black-and-white illustrations and 6 double-page colour illustrations from Burns, as well as box, binding and endpaper design by David Curtis. The limited edition will be quarter bound in leather with printed cloth sides and printed edges and presented in a clamshell box covered in cloth with a printed lining. The box also includes instructions on how to make a paper boat, designed by Curtis, which recalls the boat which sends Georgie into the sewers in King’s seminal story. Every element of the production has been approved by Stephen King himself and will feature signatures from Del Toro, Burns and Curtis.
“IT speaks of the struggle that never ends, the eternal vigil against evil that is, by necessity, cyclical. The many shapes the cosmic dread takes keep changing: sometimes smiling, sometimes frowning at us,” said Guillermo Del Toro in his deeply personal introduction. “IT was a presage of what was to come in adult years — it struck great fear in me — irrational fear and then, slowly, a fragile kind of bravery — the tenuous understanding that when all is said and done, all we have is each other.”
“Jim Burns’ illustrations reveal all the terror and mystery of IT, one of the truly great horror stories of the modern age — and Guillermo del Toro’s personal introduction reveals why this is one of his must-read books, a book that has grown bigger than itself and now infuses much of our popular culture,” said Folio Society Head of Editorial James Rose. “This one-of-a-kind edition continues Folio’s commitment to publishing Stephen King’s work — and some readers might be surprised to see how much was (inevitably) missed in the adaptations. Always horrifying, always creeping closer, IT is where Pennywise began, and it remains essential for any serious fan of the genre.”
The Folio Society edition of IT will be available for £590 / US $825 from 4pm UK time (11am EST, 8am PT) from 15 July 2025 exclusively from https://www.foliosociety.com/usa/fiction/comics-graphic-novels.
ABOUT STEPHEN KING
Stephen King was born in Portland, Maine, in 1947. He graduated with a BA in English from the University of Maine at Orono in 1970, and taught high-school English in Hampden, Maine, before becoming a full-time writer in 1974, following the publication of his first book, Carrie. He is the author of more than 50 novels, all of them worldwide best-sellers, including Salem’s Lot (1975), Pet Sematary (1983, Folio 2023) and Misery (1987, Folio 2021). He has also written six works of non-fiction and nearly 200 short stories. Many of his books and novellas have been turned into celebrated films, and have earned him Bram Stoker Awards, World Fantasy Awards and British Fantasy Society Awards. In 2003 the National Book Foundation awarded King the Medal for Distinguished Contributions to American Letters, and in 2015 he received a National Medal of Arts from the United States National Endowment for the Arts for his contribution to literature.
ABOUT JIM BURNS
Since leaving St Martin’s School of Art in London in 1972, illustrator Jim Burns has been working as a freelance illustrator — mostly in the science fiction and fantasy genres. His published work has gained him a number of awards, including three Hugos, 14 BSFA Awards and a Chesley Lifetime Achievement award. Occasional film work includes concept designs for Blade Runner and The Chronicles of Riddick, as well as the cancelled remake of Forbidden Planet. He works in a variety of media — drawing in pencil, oils, acrylics and digital.
ABOUT THE FOLIO SOCIETY
The Folio Society, based in London, publishes beautifully produced, illustrated hardback books. From a single purchase to a lifetime of collecting, book lovers around the world can buy these exquisite editions exclusively from their website, foliosociety.com. Proudly independent for its 75-year history, in 2021 under the leadership of its CEO, Joanna Reynolds, The Folio Society became an Employee Ownership Trust. The Folio Society is committed to a progressive sharing of power and profit in publishing, and this is reflected in their new status.
The Folio Society publishes some of the best names in publishing past and present, across the globe in high specification, collector editions. Notable publications include Frank Herbert’s Dune, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Andrew Chaikin’s A Man on the Moon and Alice Walker’s The Color Purple among many other contemporary and classic titles including a publishing partnership with Marvel delivering the world-recognized, iconic brand’s luxury editions.
