JK Rowling Book Sells for $4M

(NEWSER) - A new book by JK Rowling, patterned on one mentioned in the final Harry Potter installment, is set to be released tomorrow, Reuters reports. Profits from The Tales of Beedle the Bard will go to Rowling’s charity for Eastern European children. In addition to a global print run of 7.5 million, Amazon will release a collector’s edition facsimile of a handwritten, illustrated copy it bought at auction for $4 million. More»

800-word tale features Harry's father

(NEWSER) - JK Rowling’s handwritten “prequel” to the Harry Potter books has sold for $49,000 at a charity auction to benefit the PEN writers organization, Reuters reports. In the 800-word story, which takes place before Harry’s birth, the boy wizard’s father and Sirius Black use magic to elude police in a high-speed chase. The work also manages to brush aside rumors that an eighth Potter book is in the works. More»

Rowling mainstay, which forced changes in the survey, finally vanishes

(NEWSER) - As the next edition of the New York Times Book Review goes to press, an era ends—books from author JK Rowling's Harry Potter series, for the first time in 10 years, are nowhere on the best-seller list. More»

Proceeds from the handwritten book will go to charity

(NEWSER) - The Internet giant of book sales revealed today that it was behind the purchase of "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" in auction yesterday. Amazon paid $3.98 million for the handwritten manuscript -- a record for a children's book and for any modern literary manuscript, not to mention JK Rowling herself, reports Bloomberg. The money will go to a charity co-founded by the "Harry Potter" author. More»

Publishers hope guard dogs, armored vans will hex 'Hallows' leakers

(NEWSER) - Bloomsbury is shelling out millions to keep the latest and final installment in the Harry Potter series a chamber of secrets until its on-sale date next week. The British publishers are installing extra security and even guard-dogs at way stations as the Deathly Hallows ships to booksellers, and have a coven of lawyers ready to pounce on any breach in protocol. More»