Nineteen Eighty-Four (2001)

The Folio Society's Nineteen Eighty-Four, illustrated by Steven Devine and edited by Peter Davison, first appeared in 2001 as one of the five volumes of Orwell's Complete Novels, sold together in a single slipcase. The text follows Davison's edition for the Complete Works.

What to check:

• Illustrations: by Steven Devine, with a colour design wrapping round the printed boards.
• Printer: printed and bound by the Bath Press.
• Issue: the 2001 first printing came in the five-volume Complete Novels set, in a grey slipcase printed in silver and copper.

The trap is the set. A volume taken out of the Complete Novels set looks like a stand-alone copy, and Folio also issued the book on its own in a plain slipcase a little later, then reprinted it. Check the slipcase and the printing statement: Folio states later printings, so a first printing carries only the original date.

This edition was replaced in 2014 by a new Folio edition with different illustrations, which is a separate book.

Values for Folio editions depend heavily on condition, completeness of the slipcase and, for this volume, whether it comes with the rest of the set.

Sources: Eton College Library, Sancho's Rare Books and dealer listings.