The biennial publishing feeding frenzy that accompanies a new Harry Potter book release is almost upon us once again. Billionaire J.K. (Jo) Rowling's sixth installment in the Potter phenomenon, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, goes on sale worldwide on July 16, but there has already been trouble up north, with the horses busting down the stall door a bit ahead of schedule.
Canadian Potter publishers Raincoast Books was granted an injunction preventing anyone disclosing all or part of the plot to Potter number six ahead of its official publication date after a Vancouver book store "mistakenly" put the book on sale July 7 and a "small number" of the books were sold.
Customers who turn in their copy of the book will have it returned to them at 00:01 on July 16, along with an autographed bookplate and limited edition T-shirt. Book retailers worldwide have had to sign an agreement not to sell the book before that time.
"Raincoast have promised fans of Harry Potter that we would do our best to ensure that they would be the first to discover the secrets contained within Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," said Raincoast marketing director Jamie Broadhurst. "We felt that we had to take all necessary legal action to keep our promise to Canadian fans."
"It is not the intention of Raincoast to penalize the small group of fans who have innocently purchased a book in good faith," he said. "We look to them to ensure that the excitement and mystery of the story is preserved for fans around the world until July 16 by co-operating with us and observing the terms of the court injunction."
Even book cover illustrator Jason Cockcroft has not been allowed to read the novel. He told the BBC, "Apart from JK Rowling, there's only about two people I think who have read the book so far. All I know is I was asked to draw Harry and Dumbledore looking very apprehensive as something comes towards them ... I'm glad I don't know more because I don't think I could handle the responsibility."
Though I love the movies, I have thus far resisted the global tide of Potter-in-print. But my wife has just devoured numbers four and five, so with vacation approaching I feel my resolve wavering.
Edited: PC
Article comments
1 - Lisa McKay
Amazon promises to have my copy on my doorstep on the release date, and then there will be three people in the house jockeying for position. It's been so long since volume five I'm tempted to re-read it so I can remember where we left off.
2 - Eric Olsen
Dawn just burned through 4 and 5 in a few days
3 - Aaman
My computer has returned magically to life today and the wonders of Amazon Prime show me that HP 6 is shipping soon:D
4 - Eric Olsen
very cool - who will do the honor of our first review??
5 - Aaman
Every reviewer must promise to avoid the major spoilers, or risk being drawn, quartered, flagellated, or sent to dinner with Orlando Bloom
6 - Jones Violet
Aaman, dinner with Orlando Bloom? Would this include desert!?
With all the attention that follows Harry Potter, I really should join everyone in reading these books. I feel like I'm missing out on something very important.
7 - DrPat
Missing something important, James? No - delicious, awesome, engrossing, yes. But not important.
Unless you're third in line when the book comes in the door, I guess! [grin]
Now's when I need all my will-power to wait for the trade paperback. Please don't spoil it for me, reviewers!
8 - swingingpuss
Aaman and I are fighting over as to who gets to read it first.
9 - Brooke Lee
Those crafty Canadians.
What was the book before this one? I never made it through the first couple chapters because Harry was acting like a usual selfish teenage prick AND I heard someone was going to die; so like a weenie I refuse to finish the book and learn the dire truth.
And don't tell me who dies either! *sticking fingers in ears* La La La La La La La La La!
10 - Aaman
Frank, the cable guy
11 - Leoniceno
I just can't wait for the blizzard of reviews to start about 24 hours after this thing comes out.
12 - Eric Olsen
just heard that the number sold in the Canadian episode was 14
13 - already got hp6
i got the book in vancouver from raincoats book store and guess what harry dies and so does dumbledore
14 - Eric Olsen
liar
15 - Eric Berlin
No way, dude!
16 - Anthony G
Whats up Olsen, my old freind.
Coment 13, Rowling said herself that there will be seven books(one for each of Harry's school years).
17 - Aaman
Eric, I think roving editors/editors should exert considerable privilege and erase comments/posts of this nature that give away key plot twists, true or false, ASAP - at least for a while