The Folio Society has announced a spectacular limited edition combined release of Homer’s ‘The Iliad' and ‘The Odyssey'. The books will use acclaimed translations by classical scholar Emily Wilson as well as vibrant new illustrations by artist Clive Hicks-Jenkins. The edition will be published on 12th August 2025, with only 500 hand-numbered copies available.
Emily Wilson’s translations are the first major English renditions of Homer by a woman, bringing new clarity, energy, and rhythm to the ancient epic poems. Her version of ‘The Iliad' immerses readers in the raw violence and emotional stakes of the Trojan War, focusing on the rage of Achilles and its world-altering consequences. Meanwhile, ‘The Odyssey' follows the legendary journey of Odysseus as he navigates gods, monsters, and his own doubts in his long voyage back to his homeland of Ithaca, where he faces a multitude of additional challenges.
Wilson’s crisp iambic pentameter and faithful approach make the poems both accessible and powerful, giving modern readers a fresh lens through which to view these Western foundational tales.
Clive Hicks-Jenkins, renowned for his bold and narrative-rich artwork, brings Homer’s world to life with arresting illustrations. Using gouache layered with pencil, his imagery enhances the mythic drama of the texts. His slipcase design alone is a masterpiece—featuring a Greek warship, a warrior’s helmet, the petrifying gaze of Medusa, and the sirens’ seductive call. It’s a tactile and visual experience that mirrors the grandeur of the epics themselves.
This two-volume edition is quarter-bound with coloured leather spines and eye-catching, dramatic bindings. It includes two new introductions by Emily Wilson, two volumes housed in a specially designed presentation case and signatures from both Wilson and Hicks-Jenkins.
Priced at £750 and strictly limited to 500 copies, this edition is a collector’s item that celebrates the timeless power of myth, poetry, and craftsmanship. The Folio Society’s limited edition of The Iliad & The Odyssey goes on sale exclusively at foliosociety.com on 12th August 2025. Expect high demand for what promises to be one of the most significant and sought after literary editions of the year.
