Amazon.com Pays $4 Million for The Tales of Beedle Bard by J.K. Rowling

On December 13, 2007 Amazon.com announced on their website the purchase of J.K. Rowling's "The Tales of Beedle Bard". J.K. Rowling is the popular author of the children's Harry Potter series. According to a press release, Amazon.com "...announced it has purchased J.K. Rowling's "The Tales of Beedle Bard" at an auction held by Sotheby's in London." Amazon.com paid £1,950,000 which equals about $4 million U.S. dollars. J.K. Rowling will be donating the entire amount to a charity, The Children's Voice Campaign. This charity, co-founded by J.K. Rowling, has a stated purpose "to ensure that U.N. minimum standards for the care of children are implemented across the whole of Europe and beyond."

The copy of the never-before-told story "The Tales of Beedle Bard" purchased at auction is one of only 7 that J.K. Rowling wrote. The book was created, handwritten, and beautifully illustrated by J.K. Rowling and encompasses 157 pages. "The Tales of Beedle Bard" is a collection of five wizarding fairy tales left to Hermione Granger by headmaster Albus Dumbledore in book 7 of the Harry Potter series, 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows". This book left to Hermione in Dumbledore's will helps Harry Potter and his two friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger defeat the evil wizard Voldemort. The book of fairy tales also assists Harry in better understanding the Headmaster who guided him through his first 6 years at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Amazon.com provides detailed pictures of the book's interior and exterior on their website. They have also established a discussion board where site visitors can ask questions of Amazon.com regarding the book. Common themes among discussion board posters are wondering if Amazon.com has reprint rights to the book, why did they buy the book, and will copies of the book be available for sale. Amazon.com responds "At this point, J.K. Rowling has not published these stories for distribution. Of course, if and when they are published, we'd certainly hope to be able to offer them to our customers." Amazon.com also says they are planning a book tour to libraries and schools so that children can enjoy the magic of the handwritten, hand illustrated book in person. Amazon.com also says they will publish editorial reviews of "The Tales of Beedle Bard" on their website.

You can view photographs of J.K. Rowling's "The Tales of Beedle Bard" as well as join in the discussions at http://www.amazon.com/beedlebard.

Sources:

Press Release by Amazon.com Inc.

"Never Before Told Wizarding Stories by J.K. Rowling Sell at Sotheby's for £1,950,000" by The Children's Voice Campaign