Chiltern Publishing was formed in 2018 with a vision to create the most beautiful classics.

Jane Austen's original books (particularly Pride and Prejudice) from the 1800s were our inspiration.

So, using a perfect mix of tradition and the very latest in printing techniques, 19th Century quality has met 21st Century technology.

With wonderfully detailed covers, sparkling golden edges, creamy pages, and stitched binding they are the most beautiful classics ever published.

Set amongst the noisy, dangerous factories of a northern industrial town, where the workers struggle to survive, Hard Times explores the power that people can have over others, and the suffering that is caused when human emotions are ignored. "My satire is against those who see figures and averages, and nothing else," proclaimed Charles Dickens in explaining the theme of this classic novel.

Published in 1854, the story concerns one Thomas Gradgrind, a "fanatic of the demonstrable fact," who raises his children, Tom and Louisa, in a stifling and arid atmosphere of grim practicality.

A disappearing father, an unhappy marriage, a handsome suitor and a bank robbery all bring challenges to Louisa’s life.

Will she be able to control her powerful emotions, or will they lead her to ruin?