The Folio Society has issued an edition of Kahlil Gibran’s best-seller The Prophet with the artist’s colour illustrations alongside his original text for the first time.
The Prophet is a book of 26 prose poetry fables written in English by the Lebanese-American poet and writer Kahlil Gibran. It was originally published in 1923 by Alfred A. Knopf, has been translated into over 100 languages, making it one of the most translated books in history, and has never been out of print. Supposedly, only Shakespeare and Lao Tzu have outsold The Prophet, which is now in the public domain.
In the book, after 12 years in exile, the wise man Al Mustapha is about to set sail for his homeland; his parting gift to the island inhabitants a series of poems on life’s crucial questions, including love, family, work and death. Kahlil Gibran’s mystical prose and poetry have been described as “a spiritual manual for life that transcends religion, language and culture”. His work is frequently shared to celebrate unions and commemorate lives, and it has been praised by many including Elvis Presley, John Lennon and Salma Hayek.
This much-anticipated Folio Society edition is an exquisite tribute to a literary phenomenon; the 28 verses published for the first time alongside full colour renditions of the author’s original paintings. Kahlil Gibran considered himself foremost an artist and The Folio Society has worked closely with the Gibran National Committee in Lebanon to source and carefully reproduce this spectacular collection. The poems are set in the cursive Poetica typeface, specifically selected for its clarity. A blocked binding, ribbon marker and striking metallic-blocked slipcase complete this collector’s edition.
A special gift edition, bound in blocked leather with coloured page edges and an additional marker ribbon in a blocked slipcase is also available.
The regular edition is bound in blocked cloth with typography by Undt. Set in Poetica. Additional colour titles, ornaments, display text and drop capitals. 112 pages. Frontispiece,10 colour and 2 black & white illustrations. Ribbon marker. Blocked slipcase. 10.˝ x 7.˝, priced at £39.95.
The leather-bound edition is bound in blocked leather with coloured page edges and an additional marker ribbon in a blocked slipcase, at £195.00.
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