Home 5 News 5 Rare Harry Potter Prequel Stolen

Rare Harry Potter Prequel Stolen

by | May 25, 2017 | News

The obsession with J.K. Rowling’s ‘Harry Potter’ series of books exposes owners of rare Harry Potter memorabilia and artefacts to the risk of theft. British police confirmed recently that a unique handwritten draft, written by the author on a postcard, has been stolen. The draft features an 800-word short story written three years before the publication of the first book of the Harry Potter series.

The rare postcard was stolen from an office of English PEN, the founding centre of PEN International – an organisation that promotes freedom of expression and facilitates intellectual co-operation and understanding among writers. English PEN had purchased the card in an auction in 2008 for GBP 25,000 (USD 32,152), with the aim of putting it on display in a private museum to be established in the future.

The police have turned to the public and appealed to Harry Potter fans to help find and recover the rare prequel. The seven books of Harry Potter series have sold more than 450 million copies in 80 languages around the world, while the film series earned more than USD 7 billion globally.

Recent News

16Jun
Beijing Book Fair 2025: Tech and Books Unite

Beijing Book Fair 2025: Tech and Books Unite

The 31st Beijing International Book Fair this month goes heavily into conferences and academic publishing. Asia’s biggest trade event has enjoyed double-digit growth in exhibitor numbers, with AI and STM topics high on the agenda at Beijing. The 31st Beijing International Book Fair, themed “Promoting Civilizational Inheritance and Development, Advancing Exchange and Mutual Learning for […]

12Jun
The UK launches annual awards for audio content

The UK launches annual awards for audio content

Two of the UK’s leading cultural publications – The Bookseller and The Stage – have announced the launch of The British Audio Awards aka The Speakies, a brand-new annual event celebrating outstanding achievement in audiobooks and audio drama.   The British Audio Awards will shine a spotlight on ‘the most innovative, moving, and masterfully produced […]

11Jun
Lords Defend Artists in AI Clash

Lords Defend Artists in AI Clash

In the UK, the House of Lords has dealt a fourth defeat to the government over its plans to allow tech companies to use copyrighted material to train their models. The Lords, who are looking for more protections for artists from AI, rejected the latest amendment to the Data (Use and Access) Bill. The BBC […]

Related Posts

The UK launches annual awards for audio content

The UK launches annual awards for audio content

Two of the UK’s leading cultural publications – The Bookseller and The Stage – have announced the launch of The British Audio Awards aka The Speakies, a brand-new annual event celebrating outstanding achievement in audiobooks and audio drama.   The British Audio...

Lords Defend Artists in AI Clash

Lords Defend Artists in AI Clash

In the UK, the House of Lords has dealt a fourth defeat to the government over its plans to allow tech companies to use copyrighted material to train their models. The Lords, who are looking for more protections for artists from AI, rejected the latest amendment to...

THE LOOK by Michelle Obama Coming in November

THE LOOK by Michelle Obama Coming in November

Crown Publishing Group has announced the upcoming release of THE LOOK, a new book by former First Lady Michelle Obama, set to hit shelves on November 4, 2025.   The book will be available in hardcover and eBook editions from Crown, with an audiobook version, narrated...

Previous Next
Close
Test Caption
Test Description goes like this