Rare Books, Manuscripts & Maps

The Rare 'Harry Potter' First Editions

Cathy Marsden

20 May 2024

Few books have inspired the imaginations of a generation of children and adults like J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series.

The boy wizard first appeared on bookshelves in 1997 and, nearly 30 years later, the fantasy of boarding the Hogwarts Express bound for magical adventures has not diminished. Alongside seven books and a host of offshoots, such as The Tales of Beedle the Bard, the franchise has expanded to encompass eight Harry Potter films, three Fantastic Beasts films, a sell-out stage play, three theme parks and a studio tour. As of 2016, the franchise as a whole was estimated to be worth $25 billion.

We were delighted to present first edition, first impression copies of J.K. Rowling’s first three works in our Rare Books, Manuscripts, Maps & Photographs sale on the 19 June 2024, along with a comprehensive group of signed and early Harry Potter books.

Rare Books, Manuscripts, Maps & Photographs

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Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

London: Bloomsbury, 1997. First edition, first impression hardback with the number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page, ‘Philosopher’s' miss-spelled ‘Philospher's’ on the lower cover and ‘1 wand’ listed twice on page 53, original pictorial laminated boards [Errington A1(a)].

SOLD FOR £45,201 (inc fees)

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The auction was headed by an impressive first impression copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. This is indicated by a number line reading 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the publisher’s imprint page, the publisher being listed as Bloomsbury, the error of ‘1 wand’ being listed twice in Harry’s school equipment list and ‘Philosopher’ being misspelt ‘Philospher’ on the lower cover. It is an exceptionally rare book to find in any condition, and one in the present quite collectable condition could well be called the jewel in any Harry Potter collector’s crown. During the summer of 1990, J.K. Rowling caught a train from Manchester to London and the methodical rattling of the carriage alongside some time to think worked their magic: Rowling formed the idea of Harry Potter there and then! She wrote the book in her spare time, famously: “…in snatched hours, in clattering cafes or in the dead of night.” Much of this writing took place in Edinburgh, which boasts sites reminiscent of the later books in the series, such as the gravestone of Thomas Riddell Esq. in Greyfriars Kirkyard, thought by many to be the inspiration behind the true name of the series’ antagonist, Lord Voldemort (or Tom Riddle). It is therefore fitting that this early and important piece of Harry Potter history will be sold in Edinburgh.

There are many legends surrounding Harry Potter’s road to publication. For example, urban myth states that the manuscript had been rejected many times before Bloomsbury offered an advance to Rowling of £1500. However, by all accounts, when Bloomsbury did finally secure the manuscript, there was great excitement about the book’s potential. However, the publisher still proceeded with caution and issued only 500 copies of the first edition, first impression in hardback. Around 300 copies are said to have gone to libraries, were much read and are often found to be fairly tired if they have survived at all. A further 200 copies were retailed. Taking these numbers into account, it is evident that finding one of these books in good condition is rather unusual!

The success of Harry Potter has been outstanding. The bibliographer, Philip W. Errington, writes: “Never before did a series start with 500 copies in hardback and conclude with a matching edition of over eight million copies.” The book for sale here represents the beginning of this incredible success story, offering somebody the opportunity to own one of the few original copies of the book that started it all.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

London: Bloomsbury, 1998. First edition, first impression with the 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 numberline on the publisher's imprint page, signed by J.K. Rowling for the vendor at her place of work, original boards, dust-jacket

SOLD FOR £7,560 (inc fees)

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Published in 1998 and 1999 respectively, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban are the second and third books in the series, and still highly collectable in first edition, first impression. Our June 19th sale presents immaculate copies of both these works, complete with dust-jackets. In many respects – and unusually – the third book in the series is possibly rarer and more covetable than the second in first edition first impression.

706 copies of the first impression of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets were published. The book became an immediate bestseller in the UK, and can still be identified by the telltale 10-1 numberline on the publisher’s imprint page, along with a couple of inconsistencies (Gilderoy Lockhart’s book on werewolves is entitled Weekends with Werewolves at one point and Wanderings with Werewolves later in the book, for example).

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

London: Bloomsbury, 1999. First edition, first issue, first state with the number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page and the incorrectly dropped text block on page 7, dust-jacket not price-clipped [Errington A7(a)], an immaculate copy and dust jacket.

£3,000 - £4,000 + fees

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The first impression copies of the third book, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, on the other hand are considerably rarer, with around 500 copies existing. Page 7 features a misprint in the form of a dropped section of text, meaning Indeed, Wendelen the Weird enjoyed being burnt so much that she allowed herself be be caught no fewer than forty-seven times, becomes:

Indeed, Wendelen the Weird enjoyed being burnt
so much that she allowed herself be caught no fewer than forty-seven times.

The mistake was quickly rectified and a second impression issued, making the copies with the dropped text particularly unusual.

Other collectable Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling works in the auction include a deluxe edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, signed by cast members of the film; two Greek first editions of the Harry Potter books, signed and inscribed by J.K. Rowling; and a copy of the Edinburgh work, One City, signed by J.K. Rowling and other notable Edinburgh writers.

Fleming, Ian | Casino Royale | London: Jonathan Cape, 1953 | First edition, first impression, presentation copy, inscribed by the author

19 JUNE 2024

Rare Books, Manuscripts, Maps & Photographs

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