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Harry Potter Prequel raises

11.06.08 | Anna Richardson

J K Rowling's Harry Potter sequel story card was sold for £25,000 at a charity auction run by Waterstone's. The handwritten and signed card was one of 13 storycards donated by authors for the book chain's What's Your Story? campaign, which were sold at auction yesterday (10th June) and raised a total of £47, 150 for English PEN and Dyslexia Action.

Other high bids from the evening included one for Tom Stoppard’s card which sold for £4,000, and for Doris Lessing’s, which sold for £3,000.

J K Rowling’s story is set three years before Potter is born and features the characters Sirius Black and James Potter, Harry’s father. The card ends with the handwritten words, “From the prequel I am not working on – but that was fun!” and Rowling’s signature, dated May 2008.

Waterstone’s is publishing a limited edition What’s Your Story? postcard book early August, with the profits again going to the two charities, and the retailer is also displaying all stories on its website, Waterstones.com and in its store windows from today (11th June).

The list of authors who donated to the auction also comprised Lisa Appignanesi, Margaret Atwood, Lauren Child, Sebastian Faulks, Richard Ford, Neil Gaiman, Nick Hornby, Michael Rosen, Axel Scheffler and Irvine Welsh.

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