Folio Society

While most contemporary books on the best-sellers shelf in Waterstones are no longer illustrated there are still sources that publish and sell novels that pride themselves on their inclusion of illustration and the quality of their books.
The folio society, publishing for over 50 years now, strives to create beautiful books that enhance their readers pleasure through its binding and illustrations.

Folio Society, about us:
Great books should be outstanding not only in literary content but also in their physical form: this has been the philosophy of The Folio Society since it was founded in 1947 by Charles Ede, with a dream of publishing beautiful books that would be affordable to everyone. Our pleasure in reading is enhanced by the book itself, in which typography, illustration, paper, printing and binding all play a part in creating a harmonious whole. In a world of declining publishing standards, where most books are cheaply printed, and bound using low-grade materials, The Folio Society resolutely sets store by traditional values of excellence; for our designers and production personnel the term 'quite good' means 'no good': only the best is good enough.

In our 64-year history, Folio has published an astonishing range of works; from Moby-Dick to Pather Panchali, and from the Qur’ân to Kerouac’s On The Road. The quality of our books as tactile and aesthetic objects has been a constant hallmark, but members have long looked beyond our exceptional covers, to the standards we uphold for each and every text. From introducers who make up the great names of modern literature and academia, and editors and picture researchers who ensure unrivalled standards of research and textual work, to our artists who have swept the board in so many illustrations awards – Folio offers a complete experience for the book-lover.
Source

That the folio society curate their illustrators and do not publish new works aside, their view that the physical form of a book influences that which is read is key. While there is nothing wrong with a well read water-damaged paperback that may enhance and change the feel when it is read, the folio society strive to produce books of quality, that feel 'special' and 'unique' when read. The reading experience is instantly changed by the mere look of the book: hardback, clothbound and on quality paper. I feel it sets the standard for the text very high, and perhaps works in influencing our 'experience' as a 'good read'.

Here Quentin Blake talks of his experience working with the Folio Society:

Part 2:
In this second part of the interview Blake talks about the 'rise of the inner monologue  a subject that I want to look at it much bigger detail later on!)

Each year the Folio Society run an international competition to illustrate one of its books. I'll be entering this competition working from the text chosen, Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. I think that my own proccess will be intresting and important to examine given the amount of research I've done in the subject, and so I'll be posting my thoughts and progress on this blog. I fully expect it to be monumentaly difficult as apose to deconstructing other illustrators work,(lots of hypocrasy on my part I'm sure!) but that it will be an invaluable insight into the mind of the book illustrator.