Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roman Numeral Edition

One of the most beloved children’s stories of the 20th century, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl is a masterpiece of pure imagination.

Willy Wonka’s famous chocolate factory is opening at last! But only five lucky children will be allowed inside. And the winners are: Augustus Gloop, an enormously fat boy whose hobby is eating; Veruca Salt, a spoiled-rotten brat whose parents are wrapped around her little finger; Violet Beauregarde, a dim-witted gum-chewer with the fastest jaws around; Mike Teavee, a toy pistol-toting gangster-in-training who is obsessed with television; and Charlie Bucket, our hero, a boy who is honest and kind, brave and true, and good and ready for the wildest time of his life!

First published in 1964, the dark humor and cheerful gruesomeness of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory immediately endeared the book to children, making it an instant bestseller. Rarely has a tale of morality ever been more deliciously entertaining to read, as Roald Dahl’s story warns children and adults alike of the dangers of bad parenting, spoiling children, and self-indulgence.

Dahl drew inspiration for the story from his own childhood. In the 1920s, chocolate makers in England would frequently send samples to school children in exchange for their opinions on new products. Two of the largest competing chocolate companies, Cadbury and Rowntree, would send spies posing as employees to discover the other’s trade secrets. As a result, the companies became highly protective of their chocolate making process. It was a combination of this secrecy and the elaborate, often gigantic, machines in the factory that inspired the author to write his story.

Roald Dahl’s classic tale has been adapted into two major motion pictures, Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (1971) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005). In 1971, Dahl wrote a sequel, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, published in 1972.

The fine press limited edition of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl is presented in four states: Roman Numeral, Lettered, Numbered and Artist editions. 

ROMAN NUMERAL EDITION

• Oversized 7” x 10” trim size.
• Limited to 10 copies.
• 220 Pages.
• Hand crafted by Shepherds, Sangorski & Sutcliffe in London, United Kingdom.
• Section sewn by hand on pure linen tapes with linen thread.
• Endpapers designed specifically for this edition are screen printed on Canary Yellow Canson Mi-Teintes 130gsm paper with a leather joint offering strength and flexibility.
• Spine is lined with linen and acid-free paper, and the boards of the cover are acid-free laminated millboard which have been sanded to create a cushioned effect.
• Endbands are handsewn with colored silk threads woven around a core to support the head and tail caps.
• Edges have been sanded, gilt and burnished by hand with 24ct genuine gold leaf.
• Leather is vegetable tanned goatskin pared by hand to create a seamless and smooth finish.
• All cover decoration is tooled by hand with specially made individual brass tools on 24ct genuine gold leaf, with onlays of pink and green leather to represent candy. River of chocolate has been created with varying shades of brown leather and blind tooling. All lettering has been carried out with individual hand letters.
• The “chocolate box” style enclosure is covered in specially dyed vegetable tanned goatskins, with a hand tooled label in gold leaf and leather onlays. It is lined in suede with a lifting panel and satin ribbon pull to allow easy access to the book.
• Printed letterpress on Rives Heavyweight moldmade paper with a spot color throughout. The color illustrations are printed offset.
• Full color throughout with over 50 color illustrations by Quentin Blake.
• 72 additional illustrations from the artists who have illustrated Charlie and the Chocolate Factory through the years: Joseph Schindelman, Faith Jaques, Michael Foreman and Quentin Blake.
• Over 60 pages of bonus content including deleted chapters, an alternate ending, manuscript pages and handwritten notes from early drafts. 
• 1986 reply letter from Roald Dahl to Paul Suntup.
• New exclusive introduction by Donald Sturrock.
• Note by publisher Paul Suntup.
• Signed by Donald Sturrock and Paul Suntup.
• Premiums with all pre-orders include a 6” x 9” print, a 2” x 8” bookmark and printed envelope.

GOLDEN TICKET CONTEST

Over $25,000 in prizes including a Roman Numeral Edition!

Distributed randomly in all editions of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are 25 Golden Tickets! Each ticket features a unique number from 1 to 25, and depending on which numbered ticket you have, you will win one of the following prizes:

Click here for complete contest rules.

PLEASE NOTE: Roman Numeral editions are shipped with a signature required.

Published editions may differ slightly from mockups and prototype designs.
Illustrations © 1998 by Quentin Blake.
Photography by Yegor Malinovskii