Deluxe Illustrated Edition of <i>Harry Potter</i>, Inscribed by Rowling, for Sale at Sotheby’s to Benefit Charity
London, 15 November 2015—A deluxe illustrated edition of J.K. Rowling's “Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone” containing inscriptions from the author (“The Book that changed my life.?J.K. Rowling”), and the illustrator ("Mine too! Thank you Jo. | Jim Kay"), with an original drawing by Jim Kay of a baby dragon, will be offered for sale at Sotheby’s London on 17th December 2015.
This is the first printed copy of the deluxe full-colour illustrated edition of “Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone” published by Bloomsbury on 5th November 2015.* An advance copy, it was hand-bound in Italy, and is the only book to contain the inscriptions and unique dragon illustration.
Estimated at £2,000-3,000, the book is being sold to benefit Lumos (registered charity number 1112575), an international non-profit organisation founded by J.K. Rowling. The organisation works to support the eight million children in institutions worldwide to regain their right to a family life and to end the institutionalisation of children globally by 2050. Lumos is named after the light-giving spell that J.K. Rowling created in Harry Potter that brings light to desperately dark and frightening places.
It is accompanied by a letter of provenance from the Publishing Director of Bloomsbury Children's Books: "this is the first advance copy of the Deluxe Edition. It was hand bound ahead of the binding of the rest of the print run and sent from our printer in Italy... ready for signing by J.K. Rowling and Jim Kay."
Historic Harry Potter Prices at Sotheby’s
2007 saw the sale of J.K. Rowling’s “The Tales of Beedle the Bard” for an unprecedented £1,950,000 (est. £30,000-50,000). It was one of just seven copies of the book-each different from each other-hand-written and illustrated by J.K. Rowling.
In 2013, Sotheby’s auctioned the “Lumos Maxima” bracelet, a bespoke sterling silver charm bracelet made by Hamilton & Inches, based on designs by J.K Rowling and inspired by her Harry Potter books, for £20,000 (est. £15,000-20,000). The charms included Harry Potter's bolt of lightning; glasses and broomstick; a Golden Snitch; Dark Mark skull set with amethyst eyes; Slytherin locket; a winged key; The Tales of Beedle the Bard book; the Sorting Hat; the Deathly Hallows symbol and a wand, which acts as the fastener. 100% of the net sale proceeds went directly to J.K. Rowling’s children’s charity, Lumos.
Lumos
Lumos is an international non-governmental, non-profit organisation formed by J.K. Rowling to help countries reform their services for vulnerable children, moving from systems based on residential institutions and orphanages to services that help families stay together in the community. Currently 80% of the estimated eight million children living in “orphanages” or other out-of-family settings have families. Lumos’ mission draws on decades of scientific evidence showing that institutions have a negative impact on children’s physical, emotional and intellectual development. After a decade working with governments in Central and Eastern Europe, Lumos recently started work in Latin America and the Caribbean, focusing on Haiti -where more than 30,000 children, 80% of whom have families, now live in orphanages. In the last six years, Lumos has:
*Supported 14,280 children to move from harmful institutions to families or supported independent living;
*Prevented 11,000 babies and infants from serious harm or admission to institutions;
*Saved the lives of 935 children suffering from malnutrition, severe neglect or a lack of access to medical treatment;
*Trained 23,000 social workers, medical professionals, teachers, carers, civil servants, and policy makers;
*Helped redirect US$500 million that was planned to be spent on orphanages and institutions and ensured that it was spent on community-based services instead.
