Muggles rejoice!
J.K. Rowling‘s Harry Potter-related fairy tale book, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, is now available for pre-order in both Standard and Collector’s editions.
In 2007, seven handwritten copies of Tales were handcrafted and illustrated by Rowling with only one copy offered to the public through an auction for the Children’s High Level Group (CHLG) charity (which was co-founded by Rowling). CHLG announced yesterday — on Harry Potter’s birthday — that it will publish the book and release both editions for sale to the general public on December 4, 2008.
The standard editions will be printed and distributed by Scholastic and Bloomsbury, while Amazon will produce up to a maximum of 100,000 Collector’s Edition copies (£50/$100), which will aim to closely replicate the look and feel of the original handcrafted Tales.
The Tales of Beedle the Bard is a supplement to the Harry Potter series and fans will recall that in the final book of the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Tales is the book of fairy tales that Professor Dumbledore leaves to Hermione.
Of the upcoming editions, Rowling said, “The new edition will include the Tales themselves, translated from the original runes by Hermione Granger, and with illustrations by me, but also notes by Professor Albus Dumbledore, which appear by generous permission of the Hogwarts Headmasters’ Archive.”
Containing clues that were to prove crucial to Harry Potter’s final mission to destroy Lord Voldemort’s Horcruxes, The Tales of Beedle the Bard is the volume of five wizarding fairy tales left to Hermione Granger by Albus Dumbledore in the seventh and final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Only one – The Tale of the Three Brothers – is recounted in the book. In The Tales of Beedle the Bard, the four remaining stories are revealed for the very first time.
Standard Edition
“¢ All five fairy tales from the original The Tales of Beedle the Bard
“¢ A new introduction by J.K. Rowling
“¢ Illustrations reproduced from the original handcrafted book
“¢ Commentary on each of the tales by Professor Albus Dumbledore
Collector’s Edition
“¢ All five fairy tales from the original The Tales of Beedle the Bard
“¢ Outer case disguised as a wizarding textbook from the Hogwarts library
“¢ Exclusive reproduction of J.K. Rowling’s handwritten introduction
“¢ 10 new illustrations by J.K. Rowling not included in the Standard Edition or the original handcrafted edition
“¢ Velvet bag embroidered with J.K. Rowling’s signature
“¢ Metal skull, corners, and clasp
“¢ Replica gemstones
“¢ Emerald ribbon
All net proceeds from the sale of the books – expected to be in the region of £4 million / $8 million – will be donated to CHLG.
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