J.K. Rowling’s children’s charity, the Children’s High Level Group (CHLG), will publish her The Tales of Beedle the Bard this December. The wizarding fairy tales—mentioned in the Harry Potter novels—thus far exist only as seven handwritten and illustrated copies that Rowling created last year. One of those copies sold for $4 million (£1.95 million). Now CHLG, in association with Rowling’s publishers Bloomsbury and Scholastic, and Amazon.com, will produce three editions of the book for general sale. Rowling has waived any royalties on the book, and all net proceeds from the book will be donated to CHLG.
The Bloosbury and Scholastic editions (£6.99/$12.99) will feature additional commentary on each fairy tale by Professor Dumbledore and an introduction by Rowling. Amazon will also produce up to 100,000 (maximum) Collector’s Edition copies (listing at £50/$100), which “will aim to closely replciate the look and feel of the original Beedle.” All three editions will go on sale Thursday 4 December 2008, but Amazon is already taking pre-orders. Their discounted price on the standard edition is $7.59. They’re taking pre-orders for the collector’s edition at the full, $100 list price. And at 5:30PM EDT on Friday 1 August, the two versions were ranked, respectively, #1 and #2 according to Amazon’s mysterious Sales Rank algorithm.
Rowling said of the project: “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.”
Emma Nicholson, co-founder of CHLG, said “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.”
The Children’s High Level Group (CHLG) “campaigns for child rights across Europe, particularly in Eastern Europe where over a million children and teenagers are growing up in institutions, often in unacceptable conditions. In most cases they are without adequate human or emotional contact and stimulation, while many only just survive without life’s basics such as adequate shelter and food. CHLG helps around a quarter of a million children each year through education activities; outreach work in institutions; and a dedicated telphone and e-mail help line.”