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On May 21st, Sotheby's is partnering with English PEN to auction off 50 contemporary first edition novels, all annotated by their authors. Included among these books is a rare first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
This first edition Potter gem is annotated on 43 pages and included 1100 words and 22 illustrations done by J.K. Rowling herself. Rowling also remarked:
...I wrote the book...in snatched hours, in clattering cafes or in the dead of night. For me, the story of how I wrote Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is written invisibly on every page, legible only to me. Sixteen years after it was published, the memories are as vivid as ever as I turn these pages."
The precise content included in this first edition book is uncertain. There could be a mixture of information that is brand new as well as unreleased. Regardless, it would make the ultimate collectible for any Potter fan who is lucky enough to win it! Other authors who's first edition books will be at the auction can be seen here.
How much would you be willing to pay for this rare edition? Let us know below!
Thanks to Hypable for the extra details!
Posted by Veronica on 05-02-2013 at 11:45 AM
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Earlier this afternoon Chris Columbus, director of the first two Harry Potter films, gave an appearance in Winnetka, Illinois at The Book Stall, where he read an excerpt from his upcoming children's fantasy novel, House of Secrets. Co-written with young adult author Ned Vizzini ("The Other Normals," - "It's Kind of a Funny Story"), House of Secrets releases this coming Tuesday, April 23 2013.
From the Amazon description:
Brendan, Eleanor, and Cordelia Walker once had everything: two loving parents, a beautiful house in San Francisco, and all the portable electronic devices they could want. But everything changed when Dr. Walker lost his job in the wake of a mysterious incident. Now in dire straits, the family must relocate to an old Victorian house that used to be the home of occult novelist Denver Kristoff—a house that feels simultaneously creepy and too good to be true.
By the time the Walkers realize that one of their neighbors has sinister plans for them, they're banished to a primeval forest way off the grid. Their parents? Gone. Their friends? A world away. And they aren't alone. Bloodthirsty medieval warriors patrol the woods around them, supernatural pirates roam the neighboring seas, and a power-hungry queen rules the land. To survive, the siblings will have to be braver than they ever thought possible—and fight against their darkest impulses. The key may lie in their own connection to the secret Kristoff legacy. But as they unravel that legacy, they'll discover it's not just their family that's in danger . . . it's the entire world.
At today's event, Columbus revealed, "One of the reasons Ned and I wanted to write this book was that we designed it in a sort of cliff-hanger sort of way. This is kind of like pulp fiction, back in the 40's and 50's they used to write these books - serialized novels - like Doc Savage, and The Avenger, and they would end with a cliff hanger. Each chapter would end with a cliffhanger and you would be forced to read more... kids ate them up. So we thought that if we could end each chapter with a cliffhanger and have kids not be able to put this down, when they finished the book they'd say "I really liked that book; I want to read something else." And maybe they'd pick up Ray Bradbury short stories or H.P. Lovecraft, or even the person who originated the idea of a serialized novel which is Charles Dickens. So we're trying to create a love of reading. My wife and I spend a lot of our time in book stores, it's a big part of our lives. And so, to now have this in book stores is really a grand achievement."
The book, which spans nearly 80 chapters and 490 pages, is the first of a planned trilogy. MuggleNet will be reviewing the book later this week. More information can be found in this article from the L.A. Times, or in this blog. Photo credit: Jeanna Marie
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As previously reported, Scholastic have brought on artist Kazu Kibuishi to design new covers for the 15th Anniversary collection of the Potter series to be released over this year.
The new covers can be bought as individual books or as a boxed set, which is now avaliable to to pre-order before the release at the end of August. Predictably bookshops and websites are offering deals left, right and centre and the previous $100 price tag has been significantly reduced. Currently the lowest offer seems to be on Amazon for $60.90 or in the UK for 58.65GBP.
The blurb for the books is pitching the collection at "collectors and new readers alike" but will you be purchasing them? Let us know your thoughts on the collection in the comments sections below.
Posted by Claire on 04-19-2013 at 2:40 PM
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How much money would you pay for a first edition Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone? What about a copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows signed by J.K. Rowling and fourteen cast members? If your answers are around $30,000 or $5,000, respectively, then you might just stand a chance at owning these highly coveted collectibles. Artdaily.org reports that Heritage Auctions' Rare Books Signature Auction will feature these items among the largest selection of first edition Harry Potter books at one time.
This Philosopher’s Stone copy was one of the first 500 copies press run, while this print of Deathly Hallows “is accompanied by a pass to a cast and crew screening of the film and a certificate of authenticity”.
Manager of Rare Books Auctions for Heritage, Joe Fay, stated “The is the first time collectors can take their pick among nearly two dozen signed or rare Harry Potter editions or J.K. Rowling autographs in one auction.”
Among the other titles featured at the auction are “a 1918 signed letter by L. Frank Baum, the author of the beloved Wizard of Oz on his personalized stationery illustrated by images of covers of 14 Oz books” ($10,000+), “a 1955 first edition of Ian Fleming's James Bond classic Moonraker” ($30,000+), and “a first edition of Charles Darwin's groundbreaking On the Origin of Species” ($20,000+).
Heritage Auction’s Rare Books Signature Auction will take place April 10th at New York's Fletcher Sinclair Mansion (Ukrainian Institute of America) at 2 East 79th Street (at 5th Ave.) in New York City.
Are there any Harry Potter collectibles that you would pay this kind of money to own?
Posted by Laura on 04-03-2013 at 10:20 AM
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This summer the University of New Hampshire is offering an online class featuring Harry Potter, designed for kids entering 4th-8th grades. The course is called "Harry Potter as Storytelling: An Online Adventure for the Young Fan."
Lessons in the course are intended to encourage kids to practice their language arts skills over the summer, and will also use references in the Harry Potter books to teach about history, science, and art. Students will also have the chance to complete creative writing assignments and play mini-games, like being sorted into houses and earning house points. James Kasner, the English professor who will teach the course, says:
The class will be a lot of fun while also being academic. There are thousands of web pages online where you can swap Harry Potter trivia, fan fiction, and gossip. But here, we will dig into the literary and artistic aspects of Rowling’s works while also remaining rabid Potter fans.
The course will run for two weeks, from July 15th to July 26th. You can read the original article about the course here, and you can register for the class here. Will any young Harry Potter fans you know be enrolling this summer?
Posted by Jessica on 03-27-2013 at 8:10 PM
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The days of midnight book releases for Harry Potter may be over, but one library in Massachusetts is keeping the spirit alive by hosting Harry Potter Night. On April 18th, Fall River Public Library will host an event geared towards fans of the boy wizard. Attendees are encouraged to dress as their favorite characters, and a series of fun events are scheduled, including a look-alike contest and a magician. The event has been planned to coincide with the unveiling of a new mural of Hedwig in one of the library hallways.
Read more about the event here.
It sounds like a great night for any HP fan in the Fall River area! Let us know if you plan on attending the event - we'd love to get a look at that mural after it's unveiled!
Posted by Jessica on 03-24-2013 at 7:25 PM
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