‘The best children’s writer of the last forty years’ĭiana Wynne Jones’s narrative is both reassuringly familiar and packed full of novelty, with surprises slipped in at the drop of a wizard’s hat. These are cleverly stirred into the mix along with a cloak of invisibility, a talking fire demon and a persistent scarecrow: the everyday detail as engaging as the fantasy box of delights that Jones has created.

As the award-winning young-adult novelist Marcus Sedgwick discusses in his newly commissioned introduction, Jones draws on her childhood with wry references to modern life in suburban Wales and enticing hints at her own history. Released in 2004, it broke global box-office records and subsequently catapulted the novel to bestseller status. A QUIETLY ACCOMPLISHED BOOK THAT BECAME A BESTSELLERĪlthough beloved by those familiar with Diana Wynne Jones, Howl’s Moving Castle remained largely under the mainstream radar until the book was adapted into an animated film by the world-famous Studio Ghibli. The evil Witch of the Waste has cast a spell and transformed her into a frail old lady, and Howl might be her only hope of reversing the hex.

Legend has it that the enigmatic wizard lives off the hearts of young girls, but this doesn’t deter 18-year-old Sophie from hitching a ride in the castle. PRODUCTION DETAILSīound in printed and blocked Elephant Hide paperĦ colour illustrations, and 21 black & white chapter openings and a title-page spreadĩ˝ x 6¼˝ THE BEST OF FANTASY AND FAIRY-TALE TRADITIONSĭeep in the land of Ingary, the Wizard Howl’s castle hovers above the imaginary town of Market Chipping, terrorising the inhabitants below. Harel also introduces the book’ 21 chapters with delicate black-and-white decorations that offer tantalising clues to the story, while the binding shows heroine Sophie Hatter being magnetically drawn to the gloomy castle of the title, with its mysterious four-fold aspect. Selected from a record-breaking 500 entries from around the world, Marie-Alice Harel re-enchants the fairy-tale tradition with her series of six images created with a lilac-themed palate. Folio’s charming new edition celebrates master storyteller Diana Wynne Jones’s creativity, alongside that of Folio’s 2019 Book Illustration Competition winner. ‘I never forget a face, particularly if I’ve made it myself!’Ī magical union of make-believe and reality, this much-loved young-adult fantasy spirits the reader off to faraway lands with an evil witch, a dashing wizard and an adventurous teenage girl.

‘Why it’s Miss Hatter!’ the Witch said, laughing. This fantastical Folio edition of Diana Wynne Jones’s enchanting tale features artwork by Folio’s 2019 Book Illustration Competition winner. Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (Author), Illustrated by Marie-Alice Harel, Introduced by Marcus Sedgwick.

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