Dumas’ 150th Anniversary

Commemorating the 150th anniversary of the great lion of French literature, Alexandre Dumas (1802–1870), we are honoured to release this Special Edition series featuring a handwritten draft of The Count of Monte Cristo.

A novelist and playwright, Dumas was a prominent figure within the Romantic movement. He was known for his historical novels of high adventure, and The Count of Monte Cristo (1844–1845) and The Three Musketeers (1844) were two of his most celebrated works. By the end of his career, Dumas had published over one hundred thousand pages.

As one of the world’s most widely read French authors, Dumas was unique in his craft, touching on various mediums. He began his career with playwriting, founding the Théâtre Historique in Paris in 1846 where the majority of his work was performed. Dumas later moved on to magazine articles and travel books and in 1861 founded and published the newspaper L’Indipendente, which supported the Italian unification effort.

As well as living a lavish lifestyle, Dumas travelled often, spending time in Belgium, Russia and Italy before returning to France in 1864. The Count of Monte Cristo takes place in France, Italy and the islands of the Mediterranean during the years 1815 to 1839 – the era of the reign of Louis-Phillippe and the period before Napoleon returned to power following his exile. This historical backdrop is a fundamental element of the book, as the adventure story is primarily concerned with themes of hope, justice, vengeance, mercy and forgiveness. Today the work is considered a literary classic.

We hope you are inspired to make your mark with this Special Edition design and write your own story of adventure and hope.