Plea to HarperCollins: The Silmarillion Illustrated Edition

 https://pictures.abebooks.com/isbn/9780261103665-us-300.jpg

The Tolkien illustrated collection: variation 2 includes this year's hardback boxed set of The Hobbit + The Lord of the Rings, the three great tales books in hardback, and the recently published illustrated edition of Unfinished Tales. The illustrated collection: variation 1 includes The Hobbit in hardback from 1997, The Lord of the Rings hardback boxed set from 2002, and The Silmarillion hardback from 2004 (there have been a few different illustrated editions of those titles, though the size dimensions do not 'match' one another).

However, there is one title currently missing from The Tolkien illustrated collection variation 2 - The Silmarillion.

There are two illustrated editions by Ted Nasmith - one from 1998, the other from 2004. The 1998 one had about the usual number of illustrations as per usual for an illustrated edition of a Tolkien book (between 16 and 20). It also had a 'mixed' paper type: regular for text, photo style for the illustrations.

The other, was the 2004 edition, which had about 50, including many new ones. This was possible, because the paper that the book was printed on was ENTIRELY photo style; much like the 2002 Lord of the Rings illustrated boxed set. Meaning, you could have text on one side, and an image on the other. The great tales books, the most recent illustrated Hobbit + Lord of the Rings boxed set and this new Unfinished Tales feature 'mixed' paper: regular for text and sketches, photo style for the illustrations.

Then there's the 2008 edition in paperback. Of course, this came out after the 2004 one, so the new images are 'out there.' Yet, it couldn't have all 50 images, so it has a selection of about 16-18. The 2008 Silmarillion paperback includes a great selection of images, both in terms of quantity, and the images themselves that appear in it. That's why I nominate those illustrations to be included.

The list of plates my proposed edition would be the same as the 2008 paperback. They are:

~ The Sea
~ The Light of the Valinor on the Western Sea
~ Fingolfin Leads the host Across the Helcaraxre
~ The Burning of the Ships
~ The Gates of Sirion
~ The Orc-Host is Ambushed in Brethil
~ By Moonlight in Neldoreth Forest
~ Luthien Escapes Upon Huan
~ The Hill of Slain
~ Turin and his band are led to Amon Rudh
~ Turin Reaches the Abandoned Homestead
~ Up the Rainy stair
~ Tuor Follows the swans to Vinyamar, proposed for front dustjacket image
~ Tuor and Voronwe see Turin at the Pools of Ivrin
~ White Ships to Valinor
~ The Ships of the Faithful (also used on front cover and spine on the paperback), proposed for rear dustjacket.

Other features of this possible edition includes:
- the same map as from the 1998 & 2004 editions printed on both endpapers
- a ribbon-marker (matching the colour of the book itself, as well as the colour of the ink for chapter headings

I'm going to list some illustrations from the 2009 Tolkien Calendar, which was 'themed' around the 2004 illustrated of The Silmarillion to offer more ideas for images to be included:

 White Ships from Valinor
Tuor and Voronwe see Turin at the Pools of Ivrin
By Moonlight in Neldoreth Forest
The Gates of Sirion
The Hill of Slain
Turin and His Band are led to Amon Rudh
Up the Rainy Stair
The Ships of the Faithful
Tuor Follows the Swans to Vinyamar
The Orc-Host is Ambused in Brethil
Luthien Escapes Upon Huan
The Burning of the Ships
The Light of the Valinor on the Western Sea
Fingolfin Leads the Host Across the Helcaraxe


I truly hope that HarperCollins decides to publish an illustrated edition of The Silmarillion in the same design style as The Tolkien illustrated edition: variation 2, as outlined above.

If you want a matching edition of The Silmarillion to exist, I urge you to contact HarperCollins UK expressing your interest.

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