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NOVEMBER 1, 2007 at 8:10 AM
Posted by GERI
Source: BBC
Author of the Harry Potter series, JK Rowling, updated
her site earlier today to announce that she has written a set of fairytales (The Tales of Beedle the Bard) for charity.
Each of the titles were mentioned in the seventh and final book of the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and six of the seven books were given as 'thank you' gifts to people who have been involved with the series for years. The seventh book will be auctioned off to raise money for her charity, The Children's Voice.
Rowling states that writing the books was a good way to say goodbye to Potter:
People kept saying to me 'you'll be glad to have a break from writing', when of course I wasn't taking a break at all.
I was literally writing out - as these are handwritten books - these new stories which has been a wonderful way to say goodbye. It's like coming up from a deep dive.
Auction house Sotheby's will auction the book on December 13th. A description of the book is below:
Containing clues that were to prove crucial to Harry Potter's final mission to destroy Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes, The Tales of Beedle the Bard is the volume of five wizarding fairy-tales left to Hermione Granger by Albus Dumbledore in the seventh and final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Only one - The Tale of the Three Brothers - is recounted in the book. Now, for the first time, JK Rowling reveals the four remaining tales.
Bound in brown morocco leather, and mounted with hand-chased silver ornaments and seven moonstones, the volume of five stories is one of just seven individual copies - each quite different from the other - hand-written and illustrated by JK Rowling. In a dedication written in the front of the book, she 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!"
Sotheby's believe that the work will realise a price in the region of £30,000-50,000. All proceeds from the sale will enable The Children's Voice to transform the lives of thousands of vulnerable children. The charity campaigns for child rights across Europe - particularly Eastern Europe - where over a million children and teenagers are growing up in institutions, often in unacceptable conditions. One of its central aims is to move children out of institutions and into loving families, by building systems to ensure parents can care for their own children and by improving national fostering and adoption programmes for children who are separated from their families.
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Professor
Points: 1102
Fire Phoenix says:
Good idea to write these tales, I would like to read them.
But if I understood the text right there wont be a printed edition for everybody. Good she has reserved one for the auction!
Posted Nov 1, 2007 at 8:29 AM EST
St. Mungo's little helper
Points: 2466
Manfred says:
It sucks that she cant publisize the story for the sake of us devoted fans out there... but maybe she will once the charity-work is sold... I sure hope so! :(
*Manny out*
Posted Nov 1, 2007 at 8:44 AM EST
Honeydukes Eye Candy
Points: 3501
Pansyful says:
Wuhoo horray for JK! i'd love to read The Tales of Beedle the Bard even though it's for kids or just for charity. hope she publishes it as a book. i'd like to give it to my little cousins
Posted Nov 1, 2007 at 9:20 AM EST
Lupin's Furry Girlfriend
Points: 6941
theslugclub says:
:( I misread the article for a while. I was under the impression that she was going to write them for Charity, like she did with FBAWTFT & QTTA. We'll never get to read them...
Posted Nov 1, 2007 at 9:22 AM EST
Order of Merlin, 1st Class
Points: 1941
tsvety says:
This is wonderful! It's a really good cause, bravo J.K!
And I, too would have loved to read The Tales of Beedle the Bard... Oh well :)
Lina
Posted Nov 1, 2007 at 9:35 AM EST
Auror
Points: 2860
mad_eye muggle says:
Awesome!That would be sooooo great!Love to read another book by you JK.Not to mention it will surely be interesting.You go JK!HP ROCKS!
Posted Nov 1, 2007 at 9:42 AM EST
Keeper of Harry's Fate
Points: 8934
TheOneWhoMustBeNamed says:
It would be nice if they ultimately are published for all to read as a nice add on. A portion could also go to charity. One can hope.
Posted Nov 1, 2007 at 9:57 AM EST
Auror
Points: 2363
Nataly says:
The Tales of Beedle the Bard..hm sounds good! And dor a good purpose too.. nice :)
Posted Nov 1, 2007 at 10:22 AM EST
Witch
Points: 534
~AlyPotter~ says:
Very cool. Wish she would have published it for all of us fans to read. But oh well, at least she is doing this for a good cause.
Posted Nov 1, 2007 at 10:29 AM EST
Seer
Points: 15207
Brittany Radcliffe says:
OOOH yeah I remember those!
its great to see that she is writing again.
sucks its not HP though...
Posted Nov 1, 2007 at 10:35 AM EST
Witch
Points: 983
crazywitch says:
Wow I would love to read The Tales of Beedle the Bard shame we probably never will, what lucky people. Its also a good cause that shes raising that money for the children.
Posted Nov 1, 2007 at 11:07 AM EST
Prof. of Cultural Literacy
Points: 4469
PowerGranger says:
This is incredible! I, like everyone else here, would love to see these stories made available to all of us somehow as well. JKR could raise a huge amount of money for this very worthy cause by releasing a copy of the Tales. The originals would still be very special, as they were hand-drawn and written, but sales from printed versions would make millions (or billions?!) too. *ahem* just a thought.
Posted Nov 1, 2007 at 11:21 AM EST
Mrs. Draco Malfoy
Points: 27761
Arika Granger Malfoy says:
I wish I was rich....I would totally fly to where they are auctioning it and buy it....haha
That is soooo cool
*dies*
I hope she eventually sells printed ones for charity too.
=D
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Posted Nov 1, 2007 at 11:38 AM EST
Order of Merlin, 1st Class
Points: 1819
zues says:
That is very cool, I'd love to read them. I just love that she's doing such wonderfull things with her time and money. She really is someone to look up to.
Posted Nov 1, 2007 at 11:47 AM EST
Student
Points: 226
Yanela says:
I would love to read those tales. I am glad she is doing this cherity. The casue of the cherity reminds me of Harry itself. How his parents died, and he had literly no-one to care for him. Im happy for her, and for all the people who are being benefit due to J.K's kindness.
Posted Nov 1, 2007 at 11:56 AM EST
Professor
Points: 1005
HP_obsessor says:
OH MY!
That's all I can sai. wow. I don't think my parents would even let me ASK them to auction for it! UGH! I want it so bad!! :( I wonder if she'll sell it like Quidditch through the ages and fantastic beasts.......
Posted Nov 1, 2007 at 12:26 PM EST
Auror
Points: 2446
Bullrunner says:
I can understand the 6 handwritten books, but if she wanted to raise some real money, she'd publish them and give all the proceeds to this charity. Hmmm, a few million sold at $20.00 a piece, that would be a nice gift.
Posted Nov 1, 2007 at 12:32 PM EST
Witch
Points: 830
Barbarian Black says:
Oiy! What about the rest of us. Am I the only one who's pretty annoyed with this development. She should do them like the text books, so we can all have them, and she can give all the money to charity!!
I gotta say it -BBBOOOOOO!
Posted Nov 1, 2007 at 1:21 PM EST
Auror
(Moderator)
Points: 2484
Since the Start says:
It's too bad they won't be publishing a version for the fans... it's nice to have the special version going to auction for charity and having a few given away as gifts, but why not print some normal copies for the fans? If it's because she wants the profits to go to charity, JK could so the same thing as when Fantastic Beasts/Quidditch through the Ages came out and donate the profits. Hopefully some day we'll all have a chance to get a copy.
Posted Nov 1, 2007 at 1:44 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 4th Class
Points: 1370
hellothere says:
I really wish I had a spare million or so because I really want this book. I want to read these stories very much - I don't care if the book is nice and illustrated or not. I just want it.
Posted Nov 1, 2007 at 2:34 PM EST
Muggle
Points: 6
Karmella says:
I would love to be able to read the stories someday. Hopefully, after the auction, she will publish copies for HP fans. Just like Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
I started reading HP at 14 now I'm 22. I would love to share the stories with my two year old daughter.
Posted Nov 1, 2007 at 3:01 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 1st Class
Points: 1899
Hermione5 says:
That's a wonderul idea, I'm glad she cam up with it! I hope she can never really get away from writing, I'd be happy to read anything from her pen.
Posted Nov 1, 2007 at 3:21 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 1st Class
Points: 1923
iGodric says:
I watched the BBC this morning and she said that she wanted this to be a special "thank you" and therefore was holding the copyright in her hands (not in Bloomsbury's or Scolastics hands) and therefore these books will never be published.
She wanted to geniunely thank these people and give them something meaningful from the Harry Potter series that the general public would not ever get a chance to see.
Honestly I think that's up to her, shame we have to hear about it in the news and see interviews with her about it. But I can understand it.
Posted Nov 1, 2007 at 3:41 PM EST
Witch
Points: 803
ShiningShina says:
That's really too bad. I understand her wanting this gift to mean something special, but I still want to read the stories. Maybe she'll relent and allow the stories to reach the general public, even if they never publish the books.
Posted Nov 1, 2007 at 4:10 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 1st Class
Points: 1881
DarkPhoenixRising says:
Will they be printed and put on sale? I would love to be able to read'em... How appropriate that there were only 7 printed...
Posted Nov 1, 2007 at 5:15 PM EST
Lady of the Rings
Points: 4116
Padfoot4387 says:
When I first saw the title of this news story, I thought we'd be able to buy the books at the local Barnes and Noble or something - I didn't realize they were special individual copies. I wish I could've gotten one; they sound really cool.
Posted Nov 1, 2007 at 5:54 PM EST
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