Cover Revealed for U.S. Edition of ‘Harry Potter: A History of Magic’ Exhibition Companion Book!

Jul 26, 2018

Posted by: Dawn Johnson

Art, BigNews, Books, Companion Books, Cover Art, Fandom, Fans, GrandPre, J.K. Rowling, Jim Kay, News, Potter News, Products

Starting Oct. 5, U.S. Potter fans will be able to experience the incredible Harry Potter: A History of Magic Exhibition at the New York Historical Society Museum and Library after its hugely-successful run at the British Library, and now Pottermore has confirmed there will also be a U.S. edition of the official Harry Potter: A History of Magic companion book–complete with its own cover art and exclusive new content!–available Oct. 4, 2018.

After an in-depth analysis of the British Library’s ‘A History of Magic’ exhibit by Potter expert Dr Beatrice Groves, Leaky previously reported that tickets for the New York exhibition went on sale April 26 and will run through Jan. 27, 2019. At that time, full details on additions to the exhibit were not known, but the official description for the companion book, now posted on Barnes & Noble.com, seems to provide more information about what fans can expect to see, as well as what will be included in the book. It reads:

“The official companion book to the special exhibition Harry Potter: A History of Magic, featuring an extraordinary treasure trove of magical artifacts, original drafts and drawings by J.K. Rowling, and additional material exclusive to the US run of this unforgettable exhibition!

As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in the US, readers everywhere are invited to explore the extraordinary subjects of the Hogwarts curriculum – Potions & Alchemy, Divination, Care of Magical Creatures, and more – and examine incredible historical artifacts, items from J.K. Rowling’s personal archive, and stunning original artwork from Harry Potter series artists Mary GrandPré, Jim Kay, and Brian Selznick.

Published in conjunction with the special exhibition Harry Potter: A History of Magic (coming to the New-York Historical Society after a record-breaking sold-out run at the British Library), this complete catalogue of the over 150 artifacts on display gives readers an up-close look at magical treasures from all over the world. Exclusive to the New York run are amazing artifacts from American institutions — including an original Audubon illustration, a narwhal’s tusk (or is it a unicorn’s horn?), an ancient Iranian astrolabe, and more — as well as never-before-seen original artwork by Mary GrandPré and early correspondence between J.K. Rowling and her American editor, Arthur Levine.

This special publication is an essential volume for Harry Potter fans, history buffs, and bibliophiles, and a fascinating exploration of the history of the magic at the heart of the Harry Potter stories.”

Both the exhibit and the book sound magical–and new wizarding world content is always exciting! In fact, this is so new, the online purveyors have not even included the new cover art with the book listing (available for pre-order here).

Check out the Pottermore reveal of the cover art below!





The Leaky Cauldron is not associated with J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., or any of the individuals or companies associated with producing and publishing Harry Potter books and films.