Tom Felton Announces Memoir, “Beyond the Wand”

by · Published · Updated

In an exciting announcement, Tom Felton revealed today that he has a memoir coming out this fall. The book is titled Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard.

The memoir will cover his experiences playing the role of Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter, including dealing with being thrust into the spotlight at a young age and creating lasting relationships with fellow cast members. The synopsis says, “Speaking with great candor and his signature humor, Tom shares his experience growing up as part of the wizarding world while also trying to navigate the [M]uggle world. He tells stories from his early days in the business like his first acting gig where he was mistaken for fellow blonde child actor Macaulay Culkin and his Harry Potter audition where, in a very Draco-like move, he fudged how well he knew the books the series was based on (not at all).”

 

 

A couple of brief excerpts also give us a sneak peek at what we can expect:

At lunchtime, we would congregate in the canteen, which was always a fun moment. There was no separation of roles. An electrician would be queuing for his lunch next to a witch and a goblin, then a cameraman, a carpenter and Hagrid.

They called for a break, and Gambon magicked up a cigarette from out of his beard. He and I were often to be found outside the stage door, having ‘a breath of fresh air’, as we referred to it. There would be painters and plasterers and chippies and sparks, and among them all would be me and Dumbledore having a crafty cigarette.

Tom teased the announcement on social media yesterday with a carefully worded post. It didn’t take long for fans to figure out that the capitalized letters formed an anagram of the book’s title.

 

 

He joins the growing list of Harry Potter cast members who have become published authors. Bonnie Wright’s guide to sustainable living, Go Gently, was released last month. Evanna Lynch’s eating-disorder memoir, The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting, was published last fall. And Jessie Cave (Lavender Brown) has been busy in the publishing world, with a novel (Sunset), a play (Sunrise), and a book of illustrations (Love Sick).

Beyond the Wand is set to be published in hardcover and digitally on October 13 in the United Kingdom and October 18 in the United States. Ebury Spotlight is publishing it in the UK, with an anticipated page count of 308, while Grand Central Publishing will be the US publisher, with a planned page count of 272.

There will also be a simultaneously published audiobook version read by Tom, published by Penguin Random House Audio in the UK and Hachette Audio in the US.

Waterstones is also offering a signed edition, which you can preorder here. Or you can preorder your copy from Amazon or Bookshop at the links below.

Buy on Amazon  Buy on Bookshop

Press Release

GRAND CENTRAL PUBLISHING TO PUBLISH MAGICAL COMING-OF-AGE MEMOIR BY TOM FELTON

New York, NY— May 26, 2022

Grand Central Publishing is excited to announce the publication of BEYOND THE WAND: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard, a magical coming-of-age memoir from Tom Felton, on October 18, 2022. Suzanne O’Neill, VP, Executive Editor of Grand Central Publishing, acquired North American rights to the book from Sarah Scarlett at Penguin Random House UK.

Billed as the first and only behind-the-scenes Harry Potter memoir from one of the films’ biggest stars, BEYOND THE WAND will be published in print and digital formats by Grand Central Publishing in the US and Ebury Spotlight in the UK. An audiobook edition, read by the author, will be released simultaneously by Hachette Audio in the US and Penguin Random House Audio in the UK.

Tom Felton’s adolescence was anything but ordinary. His early rise to fame in beloved films like The Borrowers catapulted him into the limelight, but nothing could prepare him for what was to come after he landed the iconic role of the Draco Malfoy, the bleached blonde villain of the Harry Potter movies. For the next ten years, he was at the center of a huge pop culture phenomenon, and yet in between filming, he would go back to being a normal teenager trying to fit into a normal school.

Speaking with great candor and his signature humor, Tom shares his experience growing up as part of the wizarding world while also trying to navigate the [M]uggle world. He tells stories from his early days in the business like his first acting gig where he was mistaken for fellow blonde child actor Macaulay Culkin and his Harry Potter audition where, in a very Draco-like move, he fudged how well he knew the books the series was based on (not at all). He reflects on his experiences working with cinematic greats such as Alan Rickman, Sir Michael Gambon, Dame Maggie Smith, and Ralph Fiennes (including that awkward Voldemort hug). And perhaps most poignantly, he discusses the lasting relationships he made over that decade of filming, including with Emma Watson, who started out as a pesky nine-year-old whom he mocked for not knowing what a boom mic was but who soon grew into one of his dearest friends. Then, of course, there are the highs and lows of fame and navigating life after such a momentous and life-changing experience.

Tom Felton’s BEYOND THE WAND is an entertaining, funny, and poignant must-read for any Harry Potter fan. Prepare to meet a real-life wizard.

Tom Felton said: “I am beyond excited to announce the publication of BEYOND THE WAND. I've had these stories in my head for decades, and it's been such a great experience for me to spend time putting quill to parchment. I can't wait to share my story with Potter fans everywhere and with every [M]uggle [who]'s ever wanted to take a step closer to the wizarding world. Whether Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin or Gryffindork, I hope every witch and wizard will find a little bit of magic in this book.”

Suzanne O’Neill said: “It is our great pleasure to be Tom Felton’s US publisher. His portrayal of Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter franchise is a cultural touchstone that has brought joy to so many people. Now with humor, candor, and a gift for storytelling, Tom shares what it was like to grow up at the center of the zeitgeist, the lasting friendships he made on set, and what it was like to navigate fame after the series was done. Fans will not be disappointed by this entertaining and honest book.”

 

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Catherine Lai

I have been a fan of Harry since 2000, a fan of MuggleNet since 2005, and a MuggleNet team member since 2013. I believe in the power of stories to bring people together, and nothing does that quite like Harry Potter. I live in Toronto, Canada.