Daniel Defoe - A Journal of the Plague Year, signed by Chris Wormell
A Journal of the Plague Year
Daniel Defoe
Illustrated by Chris Wormell
Introduced by Richard Horton
Daniel Defoe’s A Journal of the Plague Year depicts London in a deadly pandemic. This Folio Society edition, with beautiful woodcuts by Chris Wormell, is introduced by editor-in-chief of The Lancet, Richard Horton.
Framed as an eyewitness account of the plague of 1665, A Journal of the Plague Year blurs the line between history and fiction. On its publication in 1722, Daniel Defoe’s terrifying portrayal of a London laid low by disease – based on real-life testimony and official records – was hailed as a faithful report. This Folio edition opens with a thought-provoking introduction by Richard Horton, editor-in-chief of The Lancet medical journal and a leading commentator on public health. He writes, ‘If you have endured the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, Defoe speaks to you directly’.
With two-colour printing throughout, this distinctive edition is illustrated by the distinguished printmaker and illustrator Chris Wormell. He has created a superb cover design of two skeletons, recalling a danse macabre, as well as exquisite woodcut motifs that punctuate the text.
Three-quarter bound in blocked cloth with a printed and blocked paper front board
Set in Caslon
264 pages
Illustrated title-page plus 9 integrated woodcut motifs
1 map
Printed black & red throughout
Blocked slipcase
9½″ x 6¼″
