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Wilfred Owen: Selected Poems

Letterpress printed hard-backed book, Zerkall mould-made (text pages), Natural Evolution Ivory (image pages)
Details: 9.75″ x 7″, 108 pages, 9 engravings, 8 letterpress vignettes
Limited to 1,250 copies signed by Neil Bousfield
For sale from The Folio Society
Illustrated by Neil Bousfield
Introduced by Owen Sheers

“Owen was slow to enlist, finally joining up in October 1915 and only being sent into action in January 1917. Within weeks he had undergone the intensely concentrated front line experience that would inspire his greatest poems…

A new limited edition published to commemorate the poet’s death in November 1918 and designed to emulate the fine press editions of the early 20th century. In series with Selected Poems Rupert Brooke and Selected Poems Edward Thomas”
– The Folio Society 2018

Wilfred Owen: Selected Poems published Autumn 2018 by The Folio Society to commemorate the centenary of Owen’s death.

When the centenary of the First World War was approaching, I knew I wanted to make something to mark the event which we should never forget. I was pleased therefore to be commissioned by the Folio Society to make a body of work to accompany a new publication of Wilfred Owen’s poetry. Owen wrote most of his poems in the year before his death between August 1917 and September 1918, with only five poems published in his lifetime.

Wilfred Owen was killed by machine gun fire while leading his men across the Sambre-Oise canal on 4th November 1918, one week before the signing of the Armistice on the 11th November 1918.

Wilfred Owen: Selected Poems contains six large and two medium, colour relief engravings, and ten small tailpieces. I was delighted to submit two of the large engravings to the 250th Royal Academy Summer Exhibition “Before my helpless sight” (Dulce et Decorum Est) and “With whom their love is done” (Spring Offensive). The engravings from this series can be viewed here.

I hope the work I have made in some way helps to mark the event, the war, Wilfred Owen and the tragic loss of life – Neil Bousfield 2018