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Waterstones is to host a celebratory event with two of the original cover illustrators of the Harry Potter books, as part of Bloomsbury’s 25th anniversary campaign for the series.
Thomas Taylor and Jonny Duddle will join fans at the bookshop’s flagship store in London’s Piccadilly, for the event, kicking off at 2 p.m. on 26th June.
In addition to the previously announced launch of a limited edition paperback version of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Bloomsbury Children’s Books), the publisher will be releasing a hardback edition, featuring the original 1997 cover illustration by Taylor.
The hardback edition will be published on 9th June, and will be available for one year only. It will feature bonus material, including drawings from author J K Rowling‘s personal archive, in addition to Taylor’s story of how he, as a young artist, came to illustrate Harry Potter for the first time.
On 26th June, the publisher will also release a "Harry Potter Fans Film" of memories and shared first reading experiences of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, recorded by fans. The film will be unveiled on social media, and one fan will be gifted a copy of the limited anniversary edition.
According to Nielsen BookScan, Rowling has sold 42.4 million books in the UK for £345m. Across all editions, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone has sold 6.5 million copies since the book was published in 1997.