J.K. Rowling to Write "Harry Potter" Encyclopedia for Charity

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND-Even as the world anticipates the final chapter in the "Harry Potter" saga, inklings arise of one last textual trip into the fictional world of magic, mystery and wizards. Author and creator JK Rowling has announced plans to pen a reference guide to the mystical realm of Hogwarts to raise money for charity.

While numerous news sources were quick to declare this the "eighth" Harry Potter book, this would in fact stand as the tenth; Rowling has previously authored two similar reference books-"Quidditch through the Ages," a guide to the popular wizards' sport, and "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," whose purpose is self-explanatory.

Rowling's previous guides to the "Potter" universe were also written to raise money for charity, pulling in nearly thirty million dollars for Comic Relief, a popular British charity and a favorite cause for many in the entertainment industry there.

In addition to supporting a worthy cause, Rowling added that the "encyclopedia of the world" would grant her the opportunity to share material that does not make it into the books. Not only does Rowling relish the chance to find a place for ideas that never found a home, but like many fantasy universes, the world of Harry Potter has proven a fun one to explore for its numerous fans, who enjoy peeking into what is only hinted at in the narratives of the novels.

While the money raised from metafictional reference guides is unlikely to match the sales generated by the canon itself, there's no doubt that nothing sells quite like a "Harry Potter" book. The seventh and final novel in the "Potter" series, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", releasing July 21, has already smashed one sales record after another, and to list the records broken by the successful series would be an article in and of itself. Rowling has also more than once proven a generous donator of her own private fortunes, whether it be to Comic Relief or to medical charity Doctors Without Borders.

Twinned with the release of "Deathly Hallows" this summer is the release of the eagerly anticipated film adaptation of the fifth book in the series, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", making Rowling's announcement a particularly timely one. Whatever the case, it's clear that Pottermania isn't due to fizzle out even if the boy wizard himself must hang up his wand in July.

Source
AHN, "J.K. Rowling Plans To Write "Harry Potter" Encyclopedia-Type Book For Charity", May 14, 2007