22 May
Niccol Machiavelli dies 1527 - The Prince was published in 1532 after his death. His surname yielded the modern political word Machiavellianism the use of cunning and deceitful tactics in politics. Find out more about Machivelli
Read the opening extract of the brand new Salley Vickers book before its publication on 23/05/2013
February 2012 marks the 20th anniversary of the Orion Publishing Group. To commemorate the occasion, and in anticipation of the next twenty years of outstanding publishing, they have reissued in very special paperback editions with the most stunning covers, twenty of their most seminal books. They're a must for every bookshelf.
Featured Books
The Tiger's Wife Tea Obreht
February 2012 Book of the Month.
Shortlisted for the Galaxy International Author of the Year Award 2011.
THE ORANGE PRIZE WINNING DEBUT FROM A TRULY EXTRAORDINARY TALENT.
A Special Edition of The Tiger's Wife... Format: Paperback - Released: 20/02/2012
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen: Orion 20th anniversary edition Paul Torday
A Special Edition of Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday to celebrate Orion's 20th anniversary.
Winner of the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction 2007.An unusual and delightful debut that all lovers of A Short History... Format: Paperback - Released: 20/02/2012
The Six Wives of Henry VIII Antonia Fraser
A Special Edition of The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Antonia Fraser to celebrate Orion's 20th anniversary.
The six wives of Henry VIII - Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane
Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Catherine Parr... Format: Paperback - Released: 20/02/2012
Stalin : The Court of the Red Tsar Simon Sebag Montefiore
A Special Edition of Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar by Simon Sebag Montefiore to celebrate Orion's 20th anniversary.
The remarkable untold story of the men and women who sustained Stalin in power in the Soviet Union for nearly 30... Format: Paperback - Released: 20/02/2012
Life : Keith Richards Keith Richards
A Special Edition of Life by Keith Richards to celebrate Orion's 20th anniversary.
Shortlisted for the Galaxy Biography of the Year Award 2011.
Not one just for Rolling Stones fans, not just one for lovers of rock music, this is a real... Format: Paperback - Released: 20/02/2012
A Child Called It Dave Pelzer
A Special Edition of A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer to celebrate Orion's 20th anniversary.
The first in Dave Pelzer’s trilogy of books about his childhood is shocking and upsetting. How can a mother treat one of her children so... Format: Paperback - Released: 20/02/2012
The Copper Beech Maeve Binchy
A Special Edition of The Copper Beech by Maeve Binchy to celebrate Orion's 20th anniversary.
Maeve Binchy's marvellous portrait of a small Irish town whose untroubled surface conceals the passions, rivalries, friendships, ambitions and jealousies beneath. Format: Paperback - Released: 20/02/2012
Horrid Henry Francesca Simon
A Special Edition of Horrid Henry by Francesca Simon to celebrate Orion's 20th anniversary.
The first riotously funny stories of Henry and his little brother Peter. Format: Paperback - Released: 20/02/2012
Tell No One Harlan Coben
A Special Edition of Tell No One by Harlan Coben to celebrate Orion's 20th anniversary.
January 2011 Guest Editor Lisa Gardner on Harlan Coben...
His breakout thriller Tell No One remains one of my favourite novels, and I consider Harlan the... Format: Paperback - Released: 20/02/2012
Wolf Brother Michelle Paver
A Special Edition of Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver to celebrate Orion's 20th anniversary.
Rich in detail which brings the past to life and makes the forest background vivid to all readers, Wolf Brother tells how orphaned Torak must set out... Format: Paperback - Released: 20/02/2012
Black and Blue Ian Rankin
A Special Edition of Black and Blue by Ian Rankin to celebrate Orion's 20th anniversary.
Rebus has everything against him: an internal investigation, a possible miscarriage of justice and a pretty tough Glasgow gangster. Enough to try the patience of any... Format: Paperback - Released: 20/02/2012
Revelation Space Alastair Reynolds
A Special Edition of Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds to celebrate Orion's 20th anniversary.
REVELATION SPACE: a huge, magnificent space opera that ranges acrioss
the known and unknown universe ...towards the most terrifying of
destinations. Format: Paperback - Released: 20/02/2012
Labyrinth Kate Mosse
A Special Edition of Labyrinth by Kate Mosse to celebrate Orion's 20th anniversary.
Winner of the Richard & Judy Best Read of the Year at the British Book Awards 2006.
I was privileged to visit Kate in her Carcassonne retreat and... Format: Paperback - Released: 20/02/2012
No Time for Goodbye Linwood Barclay
A Special Edition of No Time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay to celebrate Orion's 20th anniversary.
Winner of the Richard & Judy Summer Read 2008.
A fantastic opening plot that pulls you straight in to the story and makes you have to... Format: Paperback - Released: 20/02/2012
The Black Ice Michael Connelly
A Special Edition of The Black Ice by Michael Connelly to celebrate Orion's 20th anniversary.
The second Harry Bosch book has just as much momentum as the first. Harry gets involved in a case when a narcotics cop, Bosch has had... Format: Paperback - Released: 20/02/2012
Himalaya Michael Palin
A Special Edition of Himalaya by Michael Palin to celebrate Orion's 20th anniversary.
Winner of TV& Film Book of the Year at the British Book Awards 2005.
The
beautiful, glossy, illustrated hardback that accompanied the television
series brought down to a text-led portable-sized paperback... Format: Paperback - Released: 20/02/2012
Sophie's World Jostein Gaarder
A Special Edition of Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder to celebrate Orion's 20th anniversary.
Ex-philosophy teacher Jostein Gaarder & Albert Knos stimulate 15 year old Sophieto ask those fundamental questions which have exercised the imaginations of Children Philosophers since the dawn... Format: Paperback - Released: 20/02/2012
The Reader Bernhard Schlink
A Special Edition of The Reader by Bernhard Schlink to celebrate Orion's 20th anniversary.
One of my favourite books of 1998, the sort that, on completion, leaves you stunned and really does stay with you for – well, in my case... Format: Paperback - Released: 20/02/2012
The Shadow of the Wind Carlos Ruiz Zafon
A Special Edition of The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon to celebrate Orion's 20th anniversary.
Barcelona, a city of secret police and secret love. In it a bookseller’s son finds a forgotten novel and stumbles upon a mystery... Format: Paperback - Released: 20/02/2012
Dead Until Dark : A True Blood Novel Charlaine Harris
A Special Edition of Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris to celebrate Orion's 20th anniversary.
This is the first in a delightful new supernatural series. Sookie Stackhouse is a fantastic heroine who finds herself caught up in a world of vampires... Format: Paperback - Released: 20/02/2012
From Maeve Binchy’s The Copper Beech to Téa Obreht’s Orange Prize-winning debut The Tiger’s Wife you'll find award winning, ground breaking, genre defining, blockbusting fiction and non-ficiton - in fact there’s something here for everyone.
Iconic covers have been designed featuring a series of beautiful and innovative sculptures made from china, the traditional 20th anniversary gift. Sculptor Ben Twiston-Davies, who was specially commissioned to create these unique commemorative sculptures, says:
‘I think sculptures can make really strong cover images because they have a kind of emblematic or symbolic quality that pictures often don’t have. In churches and temples, very often the focal point is a sculpture.
‘The motifs are hugely varied, and presented lots of different technical and artistic challenges. I never expected ever to make a sculpture of a police badge, or a butterfly, or a Tudor rose. Staring day after day into Joseph Stalin’s eyes while I made the little portrait head of him was a bit unsettling! But it has been a pleasure to tackle such a wide and unusual range of subjects for one project. I was a literary type before I was an artist so I love books and it really has been a privilege to help celebrate 20 years of great literature.’
Below is a video of Ben Twiston-Davies discussing the sculptures he made for the 20th anniversay edtions of the Orion classics, specifically The Reader by Bernhard Schlink.
"They are the most beautiful striking cover designs I have ever seen grace such promotions. Grey monotone, clean covers with small photos of specially commissioned china statues illustrating each, they are absolutely stunning." - Sarah Broadhurst
About Orion
The Orion Publishing Group published its first book in 1992. In the previous year, Orion had completed negotiations with Lord Weidenfeld and acquired Weidenfeld & Nicolson as the nucleus of a new, entrepreneurial publishing group. The W&N imprint, founded in 1949, was an established brand name with a consistent history of quality publishing.
In December 1998 the group acquired the publishing house Cassell & Co, whose imprints included Victor Gollancz Ltd. In 2003 Hachette Livre became the sole owner of The Orion Publishing Group.
The Orion Publishing Group remains a microcosm of the best of UK publishing – bringing to the market the top home grown, international and translated fiction, quality non-fiction and illustrated books, Sci-Fi, and award-winning Children’s and YA books.
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