Bibliofemme News
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15/07/2005
Potter frenzy culminates this weekend
Tomorrow will see the release of the long expected sixth novel by JK Rowling. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, will go on sale at 12.01 am tomorrow. 10.8 million copies of the book are expected to fly out of shops as soon as they hit the shelves.
Rowling's publishers could put some of the world's best intelligence agencies to shame. Rowling's sixth book is the most closely guarded secret in the world. Despite the fact that 14 copies were sold in Canada, one in New York and two books were stolen in England, less than a dozen people in the world know the plot. Jason Cockroft, Rowling's illustrator doesn't even know how the story unfolds.
The biggest book launch in history will start tonight at one minute past midnight in Edinburgh when JK Rowling will read an extract from the book to 70 'cub reporters'; children who won a competition to attend the weekend launch.
Barnes & Noble.com and Amazon.com each expect pre-orders to break 1 million and the US postal service will strive to deliver the books to fans on Saturday.
As part of its mega-marketing campaign, Scholastic, Rowling's US publisher has shipped 5.5 million temporary lightning-bolt tattoos to stores and will host a street party in New York's SoHo district on Friday night. Around the world over 2200 launch parties will be held, 1900 of which are in the US.
Months of endless speculation surrounding the identity of the Half-Blood Prince will finally be resolved this weekend.
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