Beehive Illuminated Editions

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Beehive Illuminated Editions

beehive books stack of illuminated editions

Beehive Books

The Beehive Books ‘Illuminated Editions’ series is an ongoing series of classic literary masterworks. Each volume is beautifully designed by Maëlle Doliveux, filled with stunning illustrations, and presented in a slipcase.

The books are oversized (9″x12″) cloth-bound hardcovers with sewn signatures. The slipcases are textured, being elaborately debossed and embossed, die-cut, and foil blocked. The interior is printed on “creamy, acid-free uncoated paper with a fine tooth”, and each edition includes a minimum of ten full page illustrations, along with numerous spots, illuminated letters, and design pieces. The books are produced in a somewhat limited edition of 2500. 

The books are first released via kickstarter, so you’ll need to subscribe to their campaigns if you want a copy of the books immediately as they are released. The kickstarter campaigns also include access to their signed and numbered editions (limitations of 250 per title) that include foil-stamped slipcases, sprayed page edges, silk ribbon bookmarks and specialty bookplates, and recently lettered editions in a clamshell have also been added to the offerings. You can also buy the books directly from the Beehive Shop after the campaign has been fulfilled (assuming the limited book allocation hasn’t been exhausted).

But if you’re happy to wait a little in order to save a few dollars, they are usually cheaper when they become available through retail stores (links below – support the publisher’s shop if you can, but otherwise check which option is cheapest for your destination – shipping from the shop to destinations other than the US is verrrrrrrrry expensive!).

Series 1 (2017/2018)

The Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde by Oscar Wilde, illustrated by Yuko Shimizu
Beehive Books, 2018.

A collection of Wilde’s moving, sweet and magical fairy tales, with stories from both of his fairy tale books The Happy Prince and The Selfish Giant

See an in-depth review and video of The Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde here.

→ Where to buy The Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde:
Amazon | Amazon AUBook Depository | Blackwells | B&N | Beehive Books | Abes

Video review

The Island of Doctor Moreau by H. G. Wells, illustrated by Bill Sienkiewicz, introduced by Guillermo del Toro.
Beehive Books, 2017.

An early science fiction classic of human chimeras and deranged scientific curiosity.

→ Where to buy The Island of Doctor Moreau
AmazonAmazon AUBook DepositoryBlackwellsB&N | Beehive Books | Abes

The Willows and other stories by Algernon Blackwood, illustrated by Paul Pope
Beehive Books, 2018.

A chilling story of two friends rafting down the flooded Danube, slowly becoming deranged by a mysterious force at work on the branch-choked river. 

→ Where to buy The Willows and Other Stories:
Amazon |
Amazon AUBook Depository | Blackwells | B&N | Beehive Books | Abes

Series 2 (2020/2021)

Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie, illustrated by Brecht Evens
Beehive Books, 2020.

The boy who wouldn’t grow up brings Wendy and her brothers to Neverland, where he has a showdown with his nemesis, Captain Hook.

→ Where to buy Peter Pan:
Amazon
Amazon AUBook Depository | Blackwells | B&NBeehive Books | Abes

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, translated by Constance Garnett, illustrated by Dave McKean
Beehive Books, August 2021.

The classic intense Russian psychological crime novel of guilt, morality and philosophy.

→ Where to buy Crime and Punishment:
AmazonBook Depository | Blackwells | B&N | Beehive Books | Abes

The Blazing World by Margaret Cavendish, illustrated Rebekka Dunlap
Beehive Books, September 2021.

An inter-dimensional otherworldly queer romance written in 1666.

→ Where to buy The Blazing World:
AmazonBook Depository | Blackwells | B&N | Beehive Books | Abes

Series 3 (2022/2023)

The Beehive Series 3 kickstarter closed in February 2021 with books releasing to retail stores in 2022.

For the first time, this kickstarter included high-end lettered editions of the new titles, only 26 copies of each, housed in a silkscreened cloth clamshell case with a foil-stamped print by the illustrator.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, illustrated by the Balbusso Twins. Including an introduction by Nathan Robinson.
Beehive Books, anticipated July 2022.

The classic saga of love, wealth, corruption and decadence.

→ Where to buy The Great Gatsby:
AmazonBook Depository | Blackwells | B&N | Beehive Books

A Voyage to Arcturus by David Lindsay, illustrated by Jim Woodring. Including an introduction by Alan Moore.
Beehive Books, anticipated Oct 2022.

An interesting amalgam of mysticism, science fiction, sexual politics, and outrageous fantasy from the 1920s.

→ Where to buy A Voyage to Arcturus:
AmazonBook Depository | Blackwells | B&N | Beehive Books

The Kwaidan Collection by Lafcadio Hearn, illustrated by Kent Williams. Including an introduction by filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, a foreword by writer Kyoko Yoshida, and an essay by Bon Koizumi.
Beehive Books, anticipated April 2023.

A collection of supernatural Japanese stories, nightmares and strange tales. Originally published in Hearn’s books Kwaidan and Shadowings.

→ Where to buy Kwaidan:
Amazon | Book Depository | Blackwells | B&N | Beehive Books 

Series 4 (2023)

Pinocchio by Carlos Collodi, illustrated by Mike Mignola, included removable annotations by author Lemony Snicket (aka Daniel Handler). 
Beehive Books, anticipated December 2023.

Currently available on Kickstarter, this classic children’s text will have with over fifty illustrations from Mike Mignola and colorist Dave Stewart and an interactive full text annotation by Lemony Snicket that is included as removable typewritten sheets.

→ Where to back Pinocchio:
Kickstarter

2 Comments

Zan Rebolj · 13 July 2021 at 4:51 pm

Is this true, The Island of Doctor Moreau is not a complete book?

    Daisy · 13 July 2021 at 5:22 pm

    No, it is the complete story.

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