Calling diehard ‘Harry Potter‘ fans: two new books are coming – kinda.
Let’s just rip this bandaid off straight away: it’s not what you think. These aren’t new stories, they’re not coming from J.K. Rowling, and they don’t promise to undo some of the total some of the total insanity ‘Cursed Child‘ put into canon.
What they are is two new books from the British Library that aim to celebrate and go deep on the series.
They’re being released to accompany the British Library’s upcoming Harry Potter: A History of Magic exhibition, a celebration of 20 years of the series that promises to take visitors through the rich traditions of folklore and magic that are so heavily referenced in the series. Plus, you know, never-before-seen drafts from J.K. Rowling and illustrator Jim Kay.
“See the gargantuan 16th–century Ripley Scroll that explains how to create a Philosopher’s Stone,” the website says. “Gaze at Sirius in the night sky as imagined by medieval astronomers. Encounter hand-coloured pictures of dragons, unicorns and a phoenix rising from the flames.”
So about those books. Basically, they’re the official accompanying books to this exhibit, which frankly sounds wild and I’m hoping somehow makes its way to Australia in the next few years.
The first is ‘Harry Potter – A History of Magic‘, a coffee table book that “promises to take readers on a fascinating journey through the subjects studied at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry – from Alchemy and Potions classes through to Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures.”
The second is the more family-friendly (whatever that means) ‘Harry Potter – A Journey Through the History of Magic‘, an “irresistible romp through the history of magic, from alchemy to unicorns, ancient witchcraft to Harry’s Hogwarts – packed with unseen sketches and manuscript pages from J.K. Rowling, magical illustrations from Jim Kay and weird, wonderful and inspiring artefacts that have been magically released from the archives at the British Library.”
Neither are out till October 20, but you can pre-order now. Get amongst it.
Photo: Christopher Furlong / Getty.
