Some amazing news this morning for you as author J.K. Rowling has announced on her website she has written a new book, however there is only one to be made available to the public, and it will be sold for charity. On her website, Jo states this new book is based on a tale that is mentioned in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." The book that is to be auctioned is one of seven handwritten by the Harry Potter author, the other six will be given to people she wanted to honor privately, with the final copy going on auction at Sotheby's in London on December 13th 2007. The book, leather-bound and embellished with silver and different semi-precious stones, "will be on display to the public for a short period before the sale, and catalogues will be sold, all profits going to the Children's Voice." Readers will remember this is the charity that Jo founded several years ago; more information on this group, here. The Children's Voice charity (formerly Children’s High Level Group (CHLG)) aims to stamp out cruelty, neglect and abuse of young people, especially in Eastern Europe. JKR made a moving visit to the area several years ago, and has remained dedicated to helping these children.
Sotheby's has a short description about the book itself (Note: A special 48 page catalogue previewing this will soon be available for sale to the public and includes a message from Jo about the creation of the book). "Autograph manuscript of “The Tales of Beedle the Bard ” translated from the original runes by J.K. Rowling. Individually handwritten and extensively illustrated by the author, c.160 pages written in an Italian hand-made notebook, bound in brown morocco embellished on upper cover by Edinburgh silversmiths Hamilton and Inches, with five individually hand-chased hallmarked sterling silver ornaments and mounted moonstones."UPDATE: Sotheby's has now officially released to the press three new photos here, here, and here.
Some additional information about this remarkable event can be found via the following :
(Please note, if you have not yet read the final Harry Potter novel, there are spoilers.)
But we get the enclopaedia (the real one) and we got the Comic Relief books. We got the Harry Potter series too. J. K. Rowling doesn’t owe us every single thing she pens. She doesn’t owe us squat, as a matter of fact. We didn’t donate to her bank account, we purchased what she provided and we kept doing so because we loved her work. That’s cause and effect. That’s business.
Besides, rather than just being a treat for rich people, it’s a treat for one owner who will presumably have to be rich. That’s usually the nature of something very rare, unless you happen to be very fortuitous with rummages through charity shops and small town auctions. Keeping it rare makes it all the more special as a gift to the other six owners, as well as giving just the one book that special boost at auction.
Maybe she will give the tales from “Beedle the Bard” in the future encyclopedia? Hopefully, at least. I can understand that only a few, specially-created books are going to certain people, but why withhold the actual text? But let’s not be greedy and appreciate what Jo has done.
Let me ask again, in a fashion uncluttered by other words:
Has anyone seen anywhere a statement that the Tales of Beedle the Bard will never be mass printed?
If someone has, please indicate specifically where. Otherwise, please go outside, enjoy the day, and remain optimistic that sooner or later the Tales will be made available to all of us.
This is really unfair. Jo has entranced us with the Harry Potter world, and she knows how much of us religiously seek every piece of canon we can. To withhold the “Tales of Beedle the Bard” to her friends and the rich, seems like a slap in the face.
Hullo Mrs. Rowling. I do not understand this! You could let print the book for the common public as well. You could easily use the proceeds (which would not be low, I am convinced about that)for charity reason as well.
Perhaps after the auction she’ll announce that the book will be mass published for all of us to have. This auction does take place on Dec. 13th, a day-after announcement would make a wonderful Christmas present. :) Though I doubt anything would be released for this holiday season unless they’ve secretly been printing millions of copies.
Thank God the books are done. The Last month has left a sour taste in my Harry Potter mouth. Drops unneeded bomb shells, sues Steve V. (even after she has basically told the fandom we will have to bloody wait for an encyclopedia), now this one copy book, and in the past making Leaky and Muggle net loose there T-shirts. She has tuned into Applesoft.
Exciting news! And there I was, imagining her putting her feet up and enjoying a well deserved break. I’m really impressed with her drive to create.
On another note: She made an unfortunate mistake in that BBC video interview, when she said she had never previously been asked whether Dumbledore ever fell in love, and then said that, if she had been asked earlier, she would have said then that she always took him to be gay. This is from the Blue Peter interview she did shortly before the release of Book 7:
ROSE: My question is did Albus Dumbledore ever fall in love?
JKR: Ummmm… Well, in the course of a long life, I think nearly everyone falls in love, but you probably shouldn’t read too much into that answer.
That said, I think it makes PERFECT sense that she would choose not introduce homosexuality into a discussion with young children (and pets in capes! so cute!), on a young children’s TV show. So, basically, she WAS asked the question previously, but it was under very unusual circumstances that precluded a full, grown-up answer. Still, I hope someone points this tidbit out to her so that she doesn’t repeat her misstatement too much more. (The same misstatement was made on this week’s Pottercast, btw. But hey, if Jo can’t remember all her own words, we surely can’t blame our intrepid Pottercasters either!)
@Billy
she wants to slap us hard, as poor Snape. Maybe we deserve it, she wants revenge. There are too many Snape lovers out there.
Posted by IStandAtSnapesSite on November 01, 2007, 05:37 PM
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I agree with Billy. I understand and appreciate Jo’s act for her close, personal friends – and I think that’s great to give them something unique (and believe me, I would use an Unforgivable Curse to get my hands on this book). But, WHY did she have to publicize this charitable act? Certainly Jo would have known that this “exclusive” book would have angered her loyal fans. I think this an almost Deathly Hallows Dumbledore-like moment: We are realizing that Jo is not the pure, all-good demigod that we have known so far. Now, we are seeing that sometimes she makes mistakes – and publicizing this charitable act is one of them.
"I would [i]not[/i] go that way if I were you," said Nearly Headless Nick... "Peeves is planning an amusing joke on the next person to pass the bust of Paracelsus halfway down the corridor."[br]"Does it involve Paracelsus falling on top of the person's he
sighs this is so unfair…