HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE ILLUSTRATED EDITION - BLOOMSBURY

‘Seeing Jim Kay’s illustrations moved me profoundly. I love his interpretation of Harry Potter’s world, and feel honoured and grateful that he has lent his talent to it.’

J.K. ROWLING

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Illustrated Edition

Written by J.K. ROWLING

Illustrated by JIM KAY

Published by Bloomsbury, 6^th October 2015, $59.99 Hardback

In a landmark publishing moment, today marks the release of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Illustrated Edition. This is the first fully illustrated edition of J.K. Rowling’s original Harry Potter novel. Publishing in 21 countries and 27 languages, it will also be the first global publication of a Harry Potter novel to contain the same artwork.

Bloomsbury approached J.K. Rowling with the idea of creating colour illustrated editions of the seven Harry Potter novels. Award-winning artist Jim Kay was chosen unanimously by publisher and author to illustrate the books. Since he finished work on Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in March the few images revealed to the public have generated huge excitement from fans and media. Today the whole book is revealed for the first time.

With colour artwork on every page and characters, places and key moments from the book being illustrated for the first time, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Illustrated Edition is a dazzling depiction of the wizarding world that will captivate fans and new readers alike. Jim Kay’s artwork is brimming with rich detail and humour that perfectly complements J.K. Rowling’s timeless classic.

All seven titles in the Harry Potter series are set to become beautiful illustrated editions and both Jim Kay and Bloomsbury are already hard at work on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, to be published in October 2016.

A truly exciting addition to the Harry Potter canon, this is the wizarding world as you have never seen it before – and the ultimate introduction to the Harry Potter series.

For more information contact Sonia.Palmisano@bloomsbury.com / 0417 422 943

B   L  O  O  M  S  B  U  R  Y

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Illustrated Edition

12 fascinating facts about Jim Kay’s artwork

1.      Jim Kay began by designing Hogwarts. He started from the ground upwards and filled two drawers with drawings from the magical school.

2.      The first character that Jim Kay drew was Hagrid.

3.      Jim uses many techniques throughout the book, including pencil, charcoal, wax crayons, house paint, oil paint and acrylic.

4.      Jim created models of the Hogwarts Express, the Sorting Hat, the Astronomy Tower and Hogwarts itself to help with his illustrations.

5.      Jim was inspired by real people for some of the main characters: Harry was a boy spotted swinging on the bars of a Northern Line tube train, Ron was the son of a school librarian, and Draco was recommended by the teaching staff of a local school!

6.      Jim Kay’s favourite image is the architecture that opens chapter seven (page 93). It was inspired by Kirby Hall in Northamptonshire and was an image that came together right the first time.

7.      The door behind Hermione (page 150) has some very interesting names scratched into it. Look out for ‘J.K.R.’ beneath an ink pot, ‘Lupin’ beneath a moon and ‘T. Riddle’.

8.      The Diagon Alley image (pages 60–63) took months of research to complete. Jim visited the London Library to find names of London shopkeepers between the 17^th and 19^th centuries, and the Museum of London to look at old shop signs.

9.      Jim’s pet dog can be seen taking a rest outside Flourish and Blotts (page 63).

10.   The shop on Diagon Alley called Tut’s Nuts (page 63) is a joke from Jim’s days working at Kew Gardens. Some seeds from the tomb of Tutankhamun were part of the collection and affectionately known as ‘Tut’s Nuts’.

11.   The plant in the portrait of Dumbledore (page 84) is a sprig of dried honesty. On one of the branches is a small praying mantis. This shows that there was more to Dumbledore than just being an honest man

12.   The illustration of Fluffy the three-headed dog (page 220) was inspired by a scene from the film Serpico, where Al Pacino is moving in to a new house and a couple outside have puppies for sale, all squashed together in a box.

Author Biographies

J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling is the author of the record-breaking, multi-award-winning Harry Potter novels. Loved by fans around the world, the series has sold over 450 million copies, been translated into 78 languages, and made into 8 blockbuster films. She has written three companion volumes in aid of charity: Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (in aid of Comic Relief), and The Tales of Beedle the Bard (in aid of Lumos), as well as a film script inspired by Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. In 2012, J.K. Rowling’s digital company Pottermore was launched, where fans can enjoy her new writing and immerse themselves deeper in the wizarding world. J.K. Rowling has written a novel for adult readers, The Casual Vacancy, and also writes crime novels under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. As well as receiving an OBE for services to children’s literature, she has received many awards and honours, including France’s Légion d’Honneur, and the Hans Christian Andersen Award.

Jim Kay

Jim Kay won the Kate Greenaway Medal in 2012 for his illustrations in A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. He studied illustration at the University of Westminster and since graduating has worked in the Library & Archives of Tate Britain and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. After producing a one-man exhibition at Richmond Gallery he was approached by a publisher and his freelance illustration work began. Jim has produced concept work for film and television, and contributed to a group exhibition at the V&A Museum in London. He now lives and works in Northamptonshire with his partner and a rescued greyhound. On being commissioned to illustrate the world of Harry Potter he said, ‘From my point of view it is, without doubt, the best commission you can be given … to be given the opportunity to design the characters, the costume, the architecture and landscapes to possibly the most expansive fantasy world in children's literature, well let’s just say I'm extremely excited about it. However, I am also mindful of the huge responsibility this represents. I just want to make sure I do the best job I possibly can.’