JK's fairytales fetch close to two million - Dec 14 2007
A book of fairytales by Harry Potter author JK Rowling has fetched an astonishing £1.95 million at auction - up to 65 times the original asking price.

The Tales Of Beedle The Bard were expected to fetch £30,000-£50,000.

But there were frenzied scenes in the sale room at Sotheby's, central London, as bidding got under way and the price reached almost £2 million.

Only seven copies exist. The other six have been given to friends closely connected with the Potter books.

The winning bidders at the auction were fine art dealers Hazlitt, Gooden and Fox, who are based in St James's in central London. All proceeds from the sale will go to JK Rowling's charity, Children's Voice.

The handwritten book, bound in brown Morocco leather, is mounted with hand-chased silver ornaments and seven moonstones.

A dedication in it reads: "Six of these books have been given to those most closely connected to the Harry Potter books during the last 17 years. This seventh copy will be auctioned; the proceeds to help institutionalised children who are in desperate need of a voice. So to whoever now owns this book, thank you - and fair fortune be yours!"

The Tales Of Beedle The Bard play a central role in the final book about the schoolboy wizard, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows. A volume, which contains five wizarding fairytales, was left to Hermione by Hogwarts headteacher Albus Dumbledore, and provided clues to help Harry and his friends defeat Lord Voldemort.

JK's charity campaigns to improve the lives of children in care.

She said of the result: "I am stunned and ecstatic."

JK Rowling fairytales to raise cash - Dec 11 2007
Author J K Rowling gave a reading of fairytales mentioned in the final Harry Potter novel before they are auctioned to raise money for a children’s charity.

Rowling has hand-written and illustrated just seven copies of the Tales Of Beedle The Bard, which will not be published.

She hosted a reception at Sotheby’s auction house in London, where one copy of the work will go under the hammer on Thursday.

All proceeds from the sale will go to the Children’s Voice, a charity co-founded by Rowling which campaigns for child rights across Europe - particularly Eastern Europe - where more than a million children and teenagers are growing up in institutions, often in unacceptable conditions.

The other copies will be given away by Rowling to those most closely connected with the Potter books.

The Tales Of Beedle The Bard played a central role in the seventh book about the boy wizard, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows.

A volume, which contains five wizarding fairytales, was left to Hermione Granger by Hogwarts headteacher Albus Dumbledore, and provided clues to help Harry and his friends defeat his nemesis Lord Voldemort.

Each of the seven copies are bound in brown Morocco leather and mounted with different semi-precious stones.

The copy due to be sold at auction is mounted with hand-chased silver ornaments and seven moonstones. The book is expected to fetch between £30,000 and £50,000.

Rowling named ’entertainer of year’ - Nov 26 2007
JK Rowling’s magical Midas touch has landed her on the cover of Entertainment Weekly as its entertainer of the year.

The US magazine said the Harry Potter author, who has sold nearly 400 million copies of her boy-wizard stories, which have also been adapted into a series of successful films, deserved the accolade for getting "people to tote around her big, old-fashioned printed-on-paper books as if they were the hottest new entertainment devices on the planet".