Howl’s Moving Castle: Breathtaking 40th anniversary edition of fantasy favourite released

Adam Johannes

Inspired by a childhood spent in Wales, Howl’s Moving Castle has enchanted readers for 40 years – and now it’s getting an extravagant new makeover.

The Folio Society has announced a breathtaking 40th-anniversary Limited Edition of Diana Wynne Jones’s classic, to be released in March 2026. But with only 500 copies available worldwide – each priced at a cool £475 – fans will have to move as quickly as Howl’s famous castle if they want to secure one.

Produced by the luxury publisher known for turning great literature into beautifully crafted books, the new edition arrives quarter bound in leather, wrapped in printed art-silk sides, and housed in a cloth-bound presentation box.

The case features a silk-screened design by acclaimed illustrator Marie-Alice Harel, with a window revealing a metallic paper fold-out map of Ingary, the magical kingdom where the story unfolds. The map even comes in its own matching case, representing the four portals through which the mysterious wizard Howl slips between worlds.

Inside, readers will find a treasure trove of new artwork. Harel has created a full suite of illustrations for the volume, including fresh full-colour pieces hand-tipped onto the pages and framed with decorative borders. Every chapter title has been individually hand-lettered by the artist – an intricate, time-consuming process rarely seen in modern publishing.

There is also an exclusive new foreword by the author’s son, Michael Burrow, and a reflective introduction by the late award-winning children’s writer and illustrator Marcus Sedgwick.

First published in 1986, Howl’s Moving Castle became an instant hit, propelling Jones to the top ranks of British fantasy writing.

The book later achieved global fame thanks to Hayao Miyazaki’s 2004 animated adaptation for Japan’s Studio Ghibli, which broke all Japanese box-office records and earned an Academy Award nomination.

Artwork by Marie-Alice Harel from Folio Society’s limited edition of Howl’s Moving Castle, printed by Welsh printer Gomer Press

The book was partly based on the author’s childhood in Wales, where she grew up hearing her Welsh grandfather’s chapel sermons, and those poetic sounds inspired the magical worlds and characters she created. Howl is even Welsh in the book.

Diana Wynne Jones, who died in 2011, wrote more than 40 fantasy novels for young readers over a celebrated career, winning the Guardian Award for Children’s Fiction, two Mythopoeic Fantasy Awards and a World Fantasy Convention Life Achievement Award. Many fans regard her as one of the greatest fantasy authors of the 20th century.

Illustrator Marie-Alice Harel is no stranger to Folio Society devotees. Since winning the Society’s international Book Illustration Award in 2018, her work has featured in galleries across the UK, US and France. She previously illustrated Folio’s edition of The Neverending Story and even designed a Britannia coin for the Royal Mint.

James Rose, Head of Editorial at the Folio Society, said of this new edition, “Never has Sophie and Howl’s magical world been bettered in print.”

The Limited Edition of Howl’s Moving Castle is published on 24 March 2026, available exclusively from foliosociety.com. With only 500 copies in existence, collectors will need to act fast – before they vanish like one of Howl’s spells.