In HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, one of the most important clues to defeating Voldemort comes in the form of a book left by Dumbledore to Hermione Granger — a volume of instructional fables entitled TALES OF BEEDLE THE BARD. The book has never been printed…and won’t be, but it exists — author J.K. ROwling has hand made and written seven copies. Six will be given to people closely associated with the making of the Harry Potter books. The seventh was auctioned off last night. It was expected to go for around £50,000. Instead, it went for £2,000,000. That’s like $4mil at current exchange rates.
Each of the seven copies is bound in brown Morocco leather and mounted with different semi-precious stones.
A dedication written in the front of the book says: “Six of these books have been given to those most closely connected to the Harry Potter books during the last 17 years.
“This seventh copy will be auctioned, the proceeds to help institutionalised children who are in desperate need of a voice.
“So to whoever now owns this book, thank you – and fair fortune be yours!”
The new owners — London fine art dealers Hazlitt Gooden and Fox — are pleased with their purchase, and Rowling is “ecstatic” to have raised so much money for charity.
UPDATE: The book was actually purchased by Amazon.com. They have set up a page showing the book and other neat stuff. — MLC
“The seventh was auctioned off last night. It was expected to go for around £50,000. Instead, it went for £2,000,000. That’s like $4mil at current exchange rates”
I thought the american Dollar was worth half of the Pound? If so, wouldn’t th that equal $1 million instead of $4 million? I could be wrong.
Wait… ignore the above statement… me no good at math. :)
Well, that’s a very nice thing for her to do for friends, associates, and charity, but seriously sucks for all the rest of her fans because there’s no way in the world we can get a copy. :)
omfg
so, basically, she has given 6 of her friends a multimillion dollar X-mas present.
Sigh, why don’t I have friends like that?
Actually, it was purchased by Amazon.com, who used those dealers as agents.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=amb_link_6059972_2?ie=UTF8&docId=1000179911&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-0&pf_rd_r=0EJ10GKX3DDS73SXT9R1&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=340739801&pf_rd_i=507846
Amazon also plans to tour the book. The link Dallas Middaugh just posted includes photos They don’t show much of the interior, but then to show more would constitute “publication” I guess.
And they say you can’t make money doing mini-comics and zines…
I wonder if Amazon plans to eventually use this thing to move a couple million Kindles? Could be a plan…