Beedle of the Bard to Include Intro by Dumbledore

Scholastic, the US Harry Potter publishers, has updated their website with information concerning the content that will be included in the Tales of the Beedle of the Bard, mainly an introduction by Dumbledore:

Professor Dumbledore’s commentary—apparently written some eighteen months before his death—reveals not just his vast knowledge of Wizarding lore, but also more of his personal qualities: his sense of humor, his courage, his pride in his abilities, and his hard-won wisdom. Names familiar from the Harry Potter novels sprinkle the pages, including Aberforth Dumbledore, Lucius Malfoy and his forebears, and Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington (or “Nearly Headless Nick”), as well as other professors at Hogwarts and the past owners of the Elder Wand. Dumbledore tells us of incidents unique to the Wizarding world, like hilariously troubled theatrical productions at Hogwarts or the dangers of having a “hairy heart.” But he also reveals aspects of the Wizarding world that his Muggle readers might find all too familiar, like censorship, intolerance, and questions about the deepest mysteries in life.

Also, you can view the US cover art, illustrated by Mary Grandpre, here, and the UK cover art here.

All proceeds from the book will go to the Children's High Level Group (Jo's Charity). You can pre-order your copy of the standard ($7.59) or collector's ($100) edition of the book at Amazon.

Beedle the Bard to be Published This December

J.K. Rowling announced in the news section of her official website today that The Tales of Beedle the Bard will be published on December 4, 2008. All proceeds will go towards Jo's charity, the Children's High Level Group.

There was understandable disappointment among Harry Potter fans when only one copy of "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" was offered to the public last December. I am therefore delighted to announce that, thanks to the generous support of Bloomsbury, Scholastic and Amazon (who bought the handwritten copy at auction) - and with the blessing of the wonderful people who own the other six original books - "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" will now be widely available to all Harry Potter fans.

This new edition of Beedle will not only feature the five tales and Jo's illustrations, but "notes by Professor Albus Dumbledore, which appear by generous permission of the Hogwarts Headmasters' Archive.' 'Dumbledore's commentary on the Tales, which was discovered among his papers after his death, includes some historical notes, personal reminiscences, and insights into that most mysterious branch of magic: wandlore."

A special collector's edition will also be available to the public. Available exclusively through Amazon, the collector's edition is designed to look like the original handcrafted Beedle:

includes a reproduction of J.K. Rowling's handwritten introduction, as well as 10 additional illustrations not found in the Standard Edition. Opening the cover of the case reveals a velvet bag embroidered with J.K. Rowling's signature, in which sits the piece de resistance: your very own copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, complete with metal skull, corners, and clasp; replica gemstones; and emerald ribbon.

You can pre-order your copy of the standard ($7.59) or collector's ($100) edition of the book at Amazon.

Amazon Announces Beedle the Bard Finalists

The two finalists (one for each age category) for Amazon's Beedle of the Bard contest, to spend a weekend with the $4 million dollar companion book in London, have been announced and voting for the grand prize winner is now open. Voting will be open for the nest week. To view the two entries and to vote click here.

Voting Now Open for Amazon 'Beedle The Bard' Contest

We reported earlier last month that Amazon had launched a contest, in which the winner would win a trip to London to spend the weekend with the 4 million dollar copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard that the companty won at an auction back in December. The semi-finalist entries are now up and voting has commenced.

The entries for Ages 13-17 can be read here, while the entries for Ages 18+ can be read here. Voting will last until May 13th. The two finalists will be announced near the end of the month.

Video of Beedle of the Bard Security

Yahoo! News has a new video of the The Tales of Beedle of the Bard. The video shows the tight security measures and talks about the current essay contest to see the book. You can watch the video here.

Amazon Announces Contest to Read Beedle of the Bard in London

Amazon has announced a new contest, in which the winner will win a trip to London for a weekend with their copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard. The Beedle the Bard Ballad Writing Contest is open to Amazon customers 13 and older to creatively write a short, English-language submission of 100 or fewer words answering one of the following three questions:

What songs do wizards use to celebrate birthdays?
What other sports do wizards play besides Quidditch?
What have you learned from the Harry Potter series that you use in everyday life?

“Customers have been anxious to see, touch and read this rare, unique, and absolutely beautiful piece of literature,” said Russell Grandinetti, vice president of books at Amazon. “We’re thrilled to be able to offer our customers a chance to head to London, don a pair of white gloves and be one of only a handful of people in the world to have read these amazing tales. And of course, given the rarity of the book, security guards are included.”

Contest submissions will be accepted from April 9 -22, in two age categories: 13-17 and 18 and older. 10 semifinalists from each category will then be selected and announced on May 5th. Amazon will post the semi-finalist submissions from both age groups and allow Amazon customers one week to vote for their favorite entry in each of the two age categories.

The two remaining finalists will then compete for the grand prize. Amazon customers will have one more opportunity to vote for their favorite submission, in mid-May, and determine the grand prize winner of the trip to London. The grand prize winner is slated to be announced on May 22nd.

Entries can be submitted here. The deadline for submissions is 11:59 p.m. PDT on Tuesday, April 22, 2008.