It’s now been two decades since J.K. Rowling introduced readers worldwide to Harry Potter in Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone. The novel has sold 107 million copies, making it the fifth best selling book of all time and has additionally spurred 6 novels, 8 movies, an American theme park and a theatre production.
To celebrate 20 years of epic sales, Bloomsbury and the British Library are banding together to release two new novels this October. The books will be an intimate sight into the innerworkings of the notorious wizarding world. The first, Harry Potter: A History of Magic – The Book of The Exhibition, will guide readers through the range of subjects studied at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, including Care of Magical Creatures, Herbology and Defence Against the Dark Arts. The second, Harry Potter: A Journey Through A History of Magic, will detail the origins of alchemy, unicorns, Hogwarts and everything in between.
In conjunction with the celebrations, the British Library will be hosting a Harry Potter exhibition entitled A History of Magic. Running from October 20th 2017 – February 2018, the exhibition will showcase previously unreleased sketches and manuscript pages direct from J.K. Rowling, as well as a series of ethereal artworks by Jim Kay and a number of rare books and magical objects from the British Library’s archives.