Stamps celebrating the 150^th anniversary of the publication of the book Around the World in 80 Days, by celebrated author Jules Verne, are to be released by Guernsey Post’s philatelic bureau on 15 February.

Arguably the most popular of Verne’s Voyages Extraordinaries series of novels, Around the World in 80 Daysis an adventure novel about the journey of an English gentleman, the unflappable Phileas Fogg, who, accompanied by his emotional French manservant, Passepartout, sets out to prove that he can circumnavigate the globe in 80 days.

The stamps have been illustrated by Keith Robinson, who has depicted some of the key events from Phileas Fogg’s globe-trotting adventure.

The stamps: –

52p: Leaving London by train

The globe, train tickets and pocket watch are references to the beginning of the extraordinary journey.

73p: Leaving Suez, Egypt on the steamer S.S. Mongolia

Inspector Fix is on the trail of Fogg and Passepartout. Also shown is a passport stamp and Fogg’s notebook, which he uses to keep track of their journey.

 79p: Kholby to Allahabad by elephant

Inspector Fix continues to trail Fogg and Passepartout. Also depicted are the Indian shoes, which Passepartout must wear.

£1.10: Leaving Yokohama, Japan, on the steamer, The General Grant

Inspector Fix hides aboard the General Grant. We see Princess Aouda, who Fogg has rescued.

£1.26: To Omaha by sail-sled

The sled is chased by wolves. Also depicted is the buffalo herd which holds up the train earlier in the American leg of the journey.

£1.35: Arriving back at the Reform Club, London at 8.45pm

A triumphant Fogg greets Club members having won his bet. The stamp also features a bust of Jules Verne.

Bridget Yabsley, head of philatelic at Guernsey Post, said: – “French author Jules Verne is widely considered a visionary of the modern science fiction genre. Years before the creation of lunar modules and videoconferencing, Verne had written about them in his novels, which were full of futuristic inventions. He is one of the world’s most translated authors of all time and during his literary career he wrote 65 novels, 30 plays and many short stories, essays and opera librettos.

“We are excited to depict this fantastic story with its exotic locations, different cultures, and suspense. Fogg and Passepartout are an unusual pairing; what begins as a journey around the world for Fogg to win a simple wager turns into a wonderful story of loyalty and friendship.”

The stamp products are available to pre-order from 1 February 2023 at www.guernseystamps.com or by calling Philatelic Customer Services on +44 (0) 1481 716486.