Harry Potter fans can rejoice at this news: Two editions of author J.K. Rowling's "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" will go on sale Dec. 4 - just in time for the holiday gift-giving season, not surprisingly.
The charity Rowling founded in 2005, the Children's High Level Group, says it will publish "Tales" in a large-format paperback edition ($12.99). Amazon.com, the diverse online merchandiser, plans to publish a special hardback "collector's edition" that will include an introduction by Rowling ($100).
The premise of the fiction is that "Beedle" is a collection of five fairy tales "translated by Hermione Granger from ancient runes, with an introduction, notes and illustrations by Rowling herself, and extensive commentary by Albus Dumbledore," a press release said.
Rowling hand-wrote and illustrated the original seven books after completing the last of the Harry Potter series, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."
Last December, Rowling gave six of them to people who were "closely involved with the Harry Potter books," as thank-you gifts. The seventh original copy was auctioned in London in December, and purchased for $4 million by amazon.com. It was bound in leather and trimmed in silver and semiprecious stones.
In a statement, Rowling said, "There was understandable disappointment when only one copy of 'Tales' was offered to the public (the auctioned copy). I am therefore delighted to announce that...'Tales' will now be widely available to all Harry Potter fans."
Profits will be donated to her childen's charity, she said.
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