The Folio Society was founded in 1947 by Charles Ede, Christopher Sandford (of Golden Cockerel Press), and Alan Bott (founder of Pan Books).

[2] Under their ownership, The Folio Society published the collected novels of Dickens, Trollope, Hardy, Elizabeth Gaskell and Conrad.

Limited editions are hand-numbered and sometimes contain additional elements such as prints or stickers, as well as signatures from authors, introducers and illustrators.

Recent limited editions include George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four and Neuromancer by William Gibson.

In recent years, Folio has evolved, particularly under the stewardship of Joanna Reynolds – embracing new genres, fandoms and diverse modern authors, as well as new partnerships with major brands like Marvel and DC.

Each edition is designed "to be treasured forever", printed on acid-free paper with high-quality materials that will stand the test of time.