Auction house Sotheby’s put the copy of “The Tales of Beedle the Bard” out on display today for the press. The book will then go on display to the public here in the US at Sotheby’s in New York City starting Monday, November 26 at 10am (ET) then again on Tuesday, November 27 and Wednesday November 28. Bloomberg.com reports that keen interest in obtaining this unique handwritten book by author J.K. Rowling will result in a “record 50,000 pounds ($103,000) at a Dec. 13 London charity auction J.K. Rowling’s commercial success adds value to the manuscript,’’ Sotheby’s book specialist Philip Errington said in an interview. ``It makes it more desirable.’‘
The website noted how rare it is for unpublished manuscripts by living authors to go up for auction, and it is hard to value what these pieces will sell for. They cite previous auctions of works by J.K. Rowling, including one that we at TLC were involved in for our first Get a Clue charity drive, the handwritten note card with words from “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” which sold for “28,680 pounds in 2002.” The article continues to state that the “other six copies of the fairy tale may come onto the market ``at some point, but this is the first,’’ Errington said.” JKR created seven copies of “Beedle the Bard” in all, giving these other copies to friends as a thank you gift for all the years of support during her writing of the Harry Potter series.Proceeds from this auction will benefit The Children’s Voice Charity.
You can see some photos of the book from today, here courtesy of Reuters, as well as early photos here in our galleries, with more on the auction, here.
Ah, if only…I wonder if she’ll ever release this to the general public, with the proceeds to go to the charity. If I were the buyer of the one public copy, I’d probably want a guarantee that she doesn’t. But I’d sure love to read it…
Aw man…I’m flying into NY for a meeting next week, on THURSDAY! I won’t be able to see it! DANG IT! Think I could beg them to display it for one more day?
I think we’ll see Tales of Beedle the Bard available in mass paperback fairly soon, most probably similar to Quidditch through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts (whether the proceeds will go to COmic Relief UK or another charity is a question). Does anyone seriously think that JKR’s US and UK publishers (not to mention the other publishers worldwide) haven’t already burned the telephone lines to discuss with her a mass edition?
For me, the questions are simple:
1. When? I’m guessing at spring or summer 2008.
2. How long? The handwritten stories total five, for about 5500 words apparently. JKR could add more stories, so that the typeset version has more length. Or, I can imagine what would essentially be a photostatic version, showing JKR’s handwriting and any illustrations (would be nicer in a hard cover then, yes?). The cover would have printed moonstones and all that, imitating the special copies made.
But, I can also see it as a reproduction of Dumbledore’s personal copy, with a rather battered looking (printed obviously) cover, with a preface by Hermoine Granger….
Looks like someone will be overstepping their lunch hour next week… LOL. I wonder if there will be a line to get in. Does anyone know if the catalog will be available during the viewing? I want one. According to the website it’s $16 in U.S., so that leads me to believe it might be offered.
Only $103,000 in Us dollars?
I expect it to go for much more than that.