With Back to Hogwarts Day – the annual Sept. 1 celebration of all things “Harry Potter” — right around the corner, publishers are introducing a new generation to the magic of reading by donating over 200,000 copies of the books worldwide.
“Harry Potter” publishers Scholastic, Bloomsbury and Pottermore – as well as international publishing partners in France, Germany, Brazil, the Netherlands, Norway, Bulgaria, Finland, China and Japan – are giving copies of the books to schools, libraries and hospitals in the U.S., U.K. and internationally.
Scholastic will give away 100,000 copies of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” the first book in J.K. Rowling’s beloved novel series, to underserved communities across the U.S. The publisher will also distribute the audiobook to 100,000 teachers affiliated with Book Clubs in collaboration with Audible and Pottermore.
In the U.K., publisher Bloomsbury will donate copies of the book to charities and partners including, among others, The National Literacy Trust, Give a Book and Read for Good, with Pottermore and Audible matching the donation with audiobooks.
Meanwhile library card-holders will find that waitlists for digital editions have magically vanished, with Pottermore lifting them for eBook and digital audiobook versions of the “Potter” series throughout September.
The original audiobook editions of “Philosopher’s Stone,” narrated by Stephen Fry and Jim Dale, will also be made available for free to fans via the official Harry Potter YouTube channel, Audible, Amazon Music and Spotify. (This will be the first time the Jim Dale version will be available to listeners outside North America via YouTube).
News of the reading initiative comes ahead of Back to Hogwarts Day, which is set to be bigger than ever this year as anticipation builds for the upcoming HBO adaptation of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.” The show launches on Sept. 1 on HBO Max.
To celebrate, there will be a one-day Harry Potter fan experience in London, promising “magical surprises, photo opportunities, exclusive giveaways, gaming experiences, and activities from across the ‘Harry Potter’ universe.” Among those surprises will be a copy of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” from Bloomsbury as well as an audiobook edition.
“Back to Hogwarts has always been about sharing the joy of J.K. Rowling’s ‘Harry Potter’ stories for kids and families,” said Neil Blair, founding partner of The Blair Partnership, which reps Rowling. “This year, we’re opening the doors even wider, inviting readers everywhere to discover, revisit, and celebrate the magic of Hogwarts together through ‘Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone.’ From bustling city centres to local classrooms, thousands of young people will have the chance to take part. And with a few extra surprises waiting to be revealed on Sept. 1, this year’s Back to Hogwarts promises to be one of the most memorable celebrations yet of the first ‘Harry Potter’ story.”