
SP Books release Rudyard Kipling’s original manuscript, in partnership with the British Library
Independent publisher of facsimile manuscripts, SP Books, collaborated with the British Library to publish Rudyard Kipling’s original manuscript of The Jungle Book. Having been held in the British Library archives since Kipling’s wife bequeathed the artefact in 1940, this is the first time that the manuscript has been released in book form.
Readers can enjoy 173 separate sheets containing the stories of both The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book in Kipling’s own hand, including the original songs and verses that appear at the beginning and end of each story. This original version offers unique insight into the authorial process – from redrafted sections and crossed-out words to scrawled instructions and enigmatic numerical calculations. What becomes clear is Kipling’s urgency in writing this tale, as well as his meticulous care for detail.
The manuscript also reveals Kipling’s striking drawings of characters and animals, giving us unprecedented access to how the author himself envisioned his story. The classic tale is also illustrated by 96 coloured etchings by French artist Maruice de Becque that have only ever been published in a rare 1924 edition by Les éditions du Sagittaire.
For further information, please visit spbooks.com