Two lucky sisters who were given a copy of the first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by JK Rowling herself are expected to get a British record of £150,000 for the book when they sell it tomorrow. The author gave the hardback copy, one of the first 500 to be printed, to her neighbour in Edinburgh to pass on to her two young relatives 25 years ago.
She even signed it: 'To Jenny and Lucy, with best wishes, JK Rowling' and dated it September 6, 1997. Luckily, the girls treasured the rare book, putting it in storage while they bought a lesser copy for them to read. They have had the first edition ever since, keeping it in pristine condition.
Only 200 of the first printing run of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone ended up in private hands, with the first 300going to libraries and schools. They all contain several typing errors, including 'one wand' being printed twice on a list of items Harry needs for Hogwarts on page 53, reports walesonline.
Read more: Newcastle Loves awards 2022 - nominate your Best Pub in and around the city
The misprint 'Wizardry and and witchcraft' can also be seen on the back cover - a subtle variation of the title for 'Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry' which features in the novel.
The book is being sold by London-based auctioneers Bonhams. The current British record for a Harry Potter first edition is £125,000 for a copy sold in Edinburgh in June 2020, while the world record, a staggering £356,000, was achieved in Dallas, US, last December.
Alnwick Castle and Durham Cathedral were used as locations for Hogwarts in the film of the book, which was released in 2001, starring Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, with Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley, and Emma Watson as Hermione Granger.
Luke Batterham, specialist at Bonhams, said: "Interest in this book just seems to keep growing and what is wonderful about this copy is its really good condition and very early inscription. When JK Rowling signed it the book had not yet become a phenomenon.
"She gave this copy to a near neighbour in Edinburgh and inscribed it to her young relatives. I believe they had a second copy which they read and this one was kept in pristine condition. The relatives were from the Harry Potter generation and are now in their 30s. We are certainly looking at this book potentially breaking the British record."
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone has sold over 120 million copies to date. The sale takes place tomorrow.
Now read:
- Primark set to launch click and collect trial in 25 of its stores
- Mum 'moons' in school sports day parents' race disaster
- When Tyne Bridge will close for vital inspection work ahead of £41m restoration
- Boohoo's butterfly top dupe is £1.6k cheaper than the AREA version
- No-one calls their baby Nigel any more as the name is going extinct, stat experts say
