Review: “Harry Potter: The Broom Collection” feeds flying fantasies finely

In recent months, Insight Editions has been charming us with a delightful collection of books that highlight different aspects of the Wizarding World, such as wands, knitting, Diagon Alley (forthcoming pop-up), and Christmas at Hogwarts, as well as a colouring book. They have more new releases coming in the run up to the holiday season, and Leaky is excited to be able to review and give away copies of these books in part because they invite us back into the magical world during a time when there has been a lull due to the pandemic. Production on the next Fantastic Beasts film was suspended, theme parks and the Studio Tour closed, and the shuttering of theatres around the world brought live productions of Cursed Child to a temporary halt. Our lives in the Muggle world have been upended by the pandemic, and much uncertainty and anxiety remains as schools and businesses reopen, only to close again due to fresh outbreaks of the virus. The political situation is fraught in many places, due to the pandemic and myriad other reasons. These are dark times, as Scrimgeour would say. So, we could all use a little uplifting magical distraction.

To that end, there are many ways to escape into the Wizarding World. One can always re-read the books, re-watch the movies, play video games, build with Legos, read and write fan fiction, and make Potter-inspired crafts and recipes. Leaky is writing a series of fan profiles (check out our first profile on cosplayer Scarlett Ojeda) and creator profiles (see our first creator in the series, who crochets some fantastically adorable beasts) to highlight some of the creativity sparked by the Potterverse. And that is not even counting all of the charitable endeavours that have been launched around the world, inspired by the values in the series. At Leaky, we get a lot of requests to post about Potter-related products. We choose which products to post, both those that are officially-licensed and those that are fan-made, based on their quality and appeal to our readers. The Wizarding World books from Insight Editions have consistently impressed with their behind-the-scenes information, warmth, and charm: They are officially-licensed, which means they can feature images from the films, but they are written by fans. Harry Potter: Knitting Magic was written by a talented knitting designer who is also a massive Potter fan, and whose children, the recipients of some fine knitwear and an adorable stuffed Hedwig, are also Potter fans. Harry Potter: The Wand Collection was written by a nature-loving Potter fan who was thrilled to be able to explore wand lore and delve into wand fighting techniques and woods and core materials.

Harry Potter: The Broom Collection is the latest in-depth exploration of an important tool in the Wizarding World. The layout is similar to The Wand Collection—wider horizontally to accommodate photos of a long wooden stick, in this case a broom rather than a wand. In August, Leaky gave our readers an exclusive peek inside its glossy pages.

Every witch and wizard has a wand, and Harry Potter: The Wand Collection gave us a detailed look at how personalised each wand is to its owner. Not every magical person owns a broom. In Harry’s sixth year, he learned how to apparate, a useful form of transport but, like brooms, one that not every witch and wizard chooses to use. Hogwarts students get flying lessons in their first year, but some witches and wizards, like Hermione and Neville, lack confidence in their flying ability. But those who do utilise brooms often personalise them like their wands. We got a glimpse of Mad-Eye Moody’s recumbent broom in Deathly Hallows Part I, and you can study its blueprints in The Broom Collection. Tonks has also personalised her broom, at which we get a closer look in the book than we had an opportunity to do in the films. Arthur Weasley’s broomstick was designed by Miraphora Mina to resemble a Muggle bicycle, a nod to Arthur’s love of Muggle mechanics.

Harry’s extraordinary flying skill saves his life, and that of his friends, on several notable occasions, but flying is also a source of pleasure for Harry, especially when he is playing Quidditch. The Broom Collection gives the reader a tour of Quidditch equipment, trophies, uniforms, memorabilia, and fan attire (remember Luna’s lion hat that roars?).

This unique window into broom-lore contains more concept art, information on prop-making and shooting Quidditch matches, and even a look at brooms from Fantastic Beasts, among other treats.

Harry Potter: The Broom Collection will be released on 27 October. You can preorder it now.

On the release date, Leaky will be hosting a giveaway of The Broom Collection. Check this site, as well as our social media posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for details on how to enter.

In the meantime, you can enter our Christmas at Hogwarts book giveaway, which closes on 19 October.