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J.K. Rowling's Charity to Publish "Beedle the Bard" in December

Today, on J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter's birthdays, JKR has announced that her children's charity, Children's High Level Group, will publish The Tales of Beedle the Bard on December 4, in an exclusive deal with Bloomsbury, Scholastic and Amazon.

Pre-order now through our Cauldron Shop: collector's edition, standard edition.

According to a post on JKRowling.com, the book will have commentary by Dumbledore (it was "discovered in his papers after his death," including historical notes, personal reminisces, and insights into the most mysterious branch of magic, wand lore). The tales were "translated from the original runes by Hermione Granger" and have illustrations by J.K. Rowling.

JKR: "There was understandable disappointment among Harry Potter fans when only one copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard was offered to the public last December. I am therefore delighted to announce that, thanks to the generous support of Bloomsbury, Scholastic and Amazon (who bought the handwritten copy at auction) – and with the blessing of the wonderful people who own the other six original books - The Tales of Beedle the Bard will now be widely available to all Harry Potter fans. Royalties will be donated to the Children’s High Level Group, to benefit institutionalised children in desperate need of a voice. 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.”

The book's proceeds will go to de-institutionalize children. Amazon will produce a maximum of 100,000 collector's edition copies which will sell for about $100, and will aim to closely replicate the look and feel of the original copies that J.K. Rowling gave to six people closely associated with Potter last year.

All proceeds, expected to garner about 4 million pounds, will be donated to CHLG.

Emma Nicholson of the CLHG says: “We are so thrilled to be publishing such an exclusive and special book. This unique project will raise vital funds for the work of CHLG, to help us change the lives of hundreds of thousands of marginalised and institutionalised children who are living in appalling conditions, and make sure that no future generation suffers in this way.”