Beautiful classic books to give as gifts
A beautiful edition of a classic book makes a great gift. Here is our curated guide to the best classic gift books for your family and friends.
Whether your mum is impossible to buy for or you've picked someone you barely know in the office Secret Santa, we have the solution to your present shopping panic. A really beautiful edition of a classic makes a great gift: it feels thoughtful and no-one can resist a really lovely cover, even if they've already read the book. Here's a selection of beautiful classic books to give as gifts.
Looking for more Christmas gifting ideas? Don't miss our Christmas gift guide for book lovers.
Jane Austen 250th anniversary editions
2025 marks Jane Austen's 250th birthday, and to celebrate we've released special anniversary editions of all her novels, in real cloth with foiling, sprayed edges and a ribbon marker. Or for an extra indulgent gift, give the full set of the original Macmillan Collector's Library editions, presented in a limited edition gift box. The perfect present for Regency fans.
The Jane Austen Collection
by Jane Austen
Whether in the electrically charged chemistry of Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy, or the simmering romance of Emma Woodhouse and Mr Knightley, no one writes love and relationships like the incomparable Jane Austen. This gorgeous, limited edition box set includes all of her classic romantic novels. Each individual volume is beautifully designed and features a bespoke jacket, introduction or afterword, and Hugh Thomson’s timeless, evocative illustrations.
Gothic horror classics
There's beauty in the darkness with these gorgeous paperback editions of some classic horror reads, from Stoker's Dracula to mother of science fiction, Mary Shelley, and Frankenstein.
George Orwell collection
Even if you haven't read any of his books yet, you almost certainly use some of his language and ideas in your everyday life. The creator of the dystopian Big Brother, thought police and Room 101, Orwell is one of most influential writers in English of all time. These striking graphic covers of his works would look great on any bookshelf.
A veritable Wonderland
Macmillan was the original publisher of Lewis Carroll's beloved classic, so you won't be surprised to hear we have a number of gorgeous editions perfect for presents, including two new gift editions coming in 2025 to mark 160 years of Wonderland – sure to have fans grinning like a Cheshire cat.
Gorgeous anthologies
If you're not sure what your giftee likes to read but do know one of their other hobbies, a collection or anthology based on their interests is a great option that they will return to again and again.
For the literary aficionado
With his latest novel, James, shortlisted for the Booker Prize, Percival Everett is sure to be on the literary fiction fan in your life's reading list, and we've recently rereleased several of his brilliant books as part of the Picador Collection of modern classics.
James
by Percival Everett
In his Booker Prize shortlisted novel, Percival Everett lays out a precise and painful depiction of the Antebellum South on the cusp of Civil War, shot through with his trademark dry humour and semantic flair. The novel is told from the perspective of James (formerly ‘Jim’), the affable companion of Huckleberry Finn in Mark Twain’s novel. Crucially in Everett’s re-telling, James is resurrected from the graveyard of racist archetypes, and is given multiple dimensions and a character arc of his own: when James embarks on a quest to secure his wife and daughter’s freedom, Huck tags along for the ride.
