A copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone signed by author JK Rowling and a pre-press preprint are up for auction. Rare specimens are expected to sell for at least 375,000 lire.
The preprint version of JK Rowling’s first Harry Potter book is expected to sell for at least £20,000 at auction this week. The only known example of this kind in the printed version of the book before the final revision. The first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, signed by Rowling, will also be offered at the auction, hosted by Chiswick Auction House.
The preprint of the first book in the Harry Potter series is 109 pages long. The copy, which contains the correspondence between Rosamund Walker, then marketing manager at Bloomsbury Children’s Books, and children’s book critic Fiona Waters, will go on sale April 28.
NOTES FROM 1997 FOR SALE
In his February 26, 1997 letter, Walker describes the book’s plot: “School adventures full of good and bad… In a word, I love it; It’s fast-paced, funny, imaginative, intelligent and the characters are extraordinarily alive.”
In a March 28, 1997 reply, Waters wrote, “I loved this book… There’s something about Harry Potter that reminds me of Charlie Bucket in Charlie’s Chocolate Factory.”
Clive Moss, Head of Printed Books and Manuscripts at Chiswick Auctions, said: “We are delighted to be able to offer such a fascinating insight into what is set to become an iconic work in literary history. These are the only known surviving prototypes seen or offered for sale on the open market.”
The auction also includes a signed first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and a letter of authenticity from Harry Potter expert Adam Houston.
Also included in the sale is a complete set of Ian Fleming’s first edition James Bond novels.
