Harry Potter was first unleashed upon the world 15 years ago, to the day as I sit and write this – Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone was first published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books on June 26th 1997, after being rejected by many publishers and having the original hardback print run of only 500 copies.
The idea was born on a train journey and then created in a small Edinburgh cafe to become Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – the book that became the beginning of a global phenomenon. It has now sold over 90 million copies worldwide and spawned a new generation of readers, as well as the favourite literary villain as voted in a recent Bloomsbury poll.
The 15th anniversary of Harry’s publication is cause for celebration so Bloomsbury is launching a competition throughout Australia and New Zealand to find the BIGGEST Harry Potter fan in each country.
Bloomsbury would like to invite fans to write a letter detailing why they love Harry Potter, and the letter must be no more than 50 words. Bloomsbury are looking for the cleverest, most creative and entertaining reasons as they study each entry searching for a winner. The word limit must be strictly adhered to but entrants are encouraged to draw, doodle and make their letters as elaborate as they can. The more eye catching, the more memorable.
The ONLY way for fans to enter this magical competition is to visit their local bookstore and post their letter in the specially designed postboxes. There are over 400 bookstores signed up to participate so there is sure to be one near you.
This competition runs from Tuesday 26th June to Tuesday 31st July 2012, following which the biggest Harry Potter fans in Australia and New Zealand will be named. The winner and runners up will be announced on Saturday 1st September.
This competition ticks all the boxes: It is a fabulous opportunity to demonstrate love of Harry Potter, entry will support local bookshops, give your creative side a workout and the prize is beyond Platform 9 3/4.
Details of how to enter and a list of participating bookstores can be found on the website: www.bloomsburyanz.com/harrypottercompetition
The prizes: Winners will receive a leather-bound, signed, dedicated and numbered 15th Anniversary Edition of Harry Potter and the
Philosopher’s Stone. The limited number 15th Anniversary Editions are exclusive to the competition and cannot be purchased elsewhere. Winners will also receive a Harry Potter Special Edition Boxed Set (value AU$470/NZ$550) and a Harry Potter signature edition audio box (value AU$800/NZ$990). There will be one winner in Australia and one winner in New Zealand. 3 Runners Up will receive a leather-bound, signed, dedicated and numbered 15th anniversary edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
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