Two New ‘Harry Potter’-Themed Books To Be Released

The magic of the Harry Potter franchise will return this October when two new Potter-themed books are released in conjunction with the British Library’s Harry Potter: A History of Magic exhibit.

Before fans get too far ahead of themselves, the two books will not be novels and will not be exclusively penned by the franchise’s creator J.K. Rowling. Instead, both books will be filled with the artwork and artifacts made available at the October exhibit.

One book, Harry Potter: A History of Magic, will be for adults and will be available in both print and eBook. It will feature artwork, notes belonging to Rowling while she worked on the novels, and interviews with the curators of the exhibit.

The other book, Harry Potter: A Journey Through the History of Magic, is being billed by Rowling’s website Pottermore.com as a “family edition for young readers.” Available in both print and eBook, the electronic edition of the book will include interactive features as well.

The exhibit opening on October 20 – the same day the books are to be released – has been organized in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the first novel in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, or, as it was published in the United States, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

The British Library shared the first images of the cover artwork for the two new books on their Twitter account early Thursday morning.

The Harry Potter: A History of Magic cover was illustrated by Jim Kay and is being used to promote the exhibit.

Said John Overeem, senior designer at the British Library, of the artwork, “It was a long and very rewarding selection process. We have a host of magical creatures to choose from but the phoenix seemed symbolically the most hopeful and dynamic; the Jim Kay version is in such vivid colors it soars right off the page.”

The Harry Potter franchise has seen continued success in recent years with the release of the script for the West End play “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.” The play, which won nine Olivier Awards, will be coming to Broadway in April of 2018 and will play at the Lyric Theatre. The cast is yet to be announced.