One City One Book: Kidnapped!

Edinburgh has been Kidnapped! this February

First published in 1886, Edinburgh-born Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped has gone on to become a classic adventure tale. Kidnapped has been chosen for for the Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature's One City One Book Campaign, and they have sponsored three new editions of the novel. 25,000 copies will be given away in Schools and Libraries across Edinburgh - but all the editions are for sale from BooksfromScotland.com.

The Kidnapped Trail

Using the power of Google Maps, we have recreated the Kidnapped Trail, from Erraid Isle off the coast of Mull, through the Highlands, past the site of the Appin Murder, and on to Edinburgh. Each of the five editions listed below includes a beautiful hand-drawn map of the trail - the BooksfromScotland.com map is dynamic.

Five Editions Six Editions

There are five six editions promoted as part of the One City One Book campaign - the Canongate Classic, the new Graphic Novel, a retold edition for younger readers, the graphic novel in Scots, Kidnappit, and a modern text version of the graphic novel.

First appearing on BooksfromScotland.com a year before any other bookshop is Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped: The Graphic Novel Special Edition. This unique hardback book contains two volumes - Grant and Kennedy's graphic novel, and an exclusive "making of" book featuring original drawings and sketches.

Special Edition

Kidnapped: The Special Edition Graphic Novel

This two-volume slipcased edition containing the titles Kidnapped, and Creating the Graphic Novel is a beautiful set produced as a limited print run of 500 copies. Volume 1 is a new hardback edition of the Kidnapped graphic novel which was first published in 2007. This special edition has a frontispiece numbered and signed by Alan Grant and Cam Kennedy, printed endpapers, a ribbon marker and is quarter-bound in cloth. Volume 2 – a hardback specially created for this set – Creating the Graphic Novel, is illustrated throughout, and reveals the process of the creation of Grant and Kennedy’s Kidnapped, with interviews and commentary from this dream team of world class writer and illustrator. It shows pencil drawings, preparatory sketches, and detailed studies of individual elements. Alan Grant reveals how he approaches a story, and how he painstakingly distilled Stevenson’s classic tale into just 64 pages. This volume also illustrates how Cam Kennedy works, from his first visions of a scene, experiments with colour, historical and costume research and first pencil sketches, through to final inking and colouring. You’ll also find exclusive pictures and never-before-seen material in this desirable collectors’ edition.

The Canongate Classic

Kidnapped: Canongate Classic

The Canongate Classic Edition is edited with an introduction by Barry Menikoff, author of Narrating Scotland, and carries a new preface by Louise Welsh. This edition contains the original illustrations from Young Folks Paper, in which Kidnapped was first published in serial form.

The Graphic Novel

Kidnapped: The Graphic Novel

Writer Alan Grant and illustrator Cam Kennedy are known throughout the world for their groundbreaking work in Graphic Novels, from 2000AD, Judge Dread, Star Wars: Dark Empire, Batman and many more. Both Grant and Kennedy are native Scots, and their collaboration on this new edition of Kidnapped is stunning. This new edition is available as a paperback and a hardback.

The Retold Edition

Kidnapped: Retold

The simplified retold edition brings the adventure and excitement of Kidnapped to a younger audience. Written by John Kennett, with line illustrations and a full-colour map.

Kidnappit - Kidnapped in Scots

Kidnappit: Kidnapped Graphic Novel in Scots

Matthew Fitt brings the Graphic Novel to readers of modern Scots, in his translation Kidnappit. Stevenson's original novel was highly regarded for its use of vernacular Scots, and Fitt brings it bang up to date in this new edition.

Graphic Novel Retold

Kidnapped: Graphic Novel Retold

Publisher's Barrington Stoke have taken the Grant and Kennedy graphic novel and retold it in a Modern Text edition, and is suitable for dyslexia and struggling or reluctant readers. The text is presented in a clear and easy-to-read font and is a simpler - but just as exciting - read.

  • Teaching Notes for Kidnapped are available from the Association for Scottish Literary Studies
Last modified Friday 14 November 2008