USA: ONE LUCKY LITTLE GIRL GETS TO READ THE NEW HARRY POTTER CHILDRENS BOOK DAYS BEFORE ITS OFFICIAL RELEASE

Record ID: 393397

  • Title: USA: ONE LUCKY LITTLE GIRL GETS TO READ THE NEW HARRY POTTER CHILDRENS BOOK DAYS BEFORE ITS OFFICIAL RELEASE
  • Date: 3rd July 2000
  • Summary: NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (JUNE 22, 2000) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) SLV/CLOSE UP, HARRY POTTER DISPLAY AT BOOKSTORE WITH HARRY POTTER BOOKS ON DISPLAY (2 SHOTS)
  • Embargoed: 18th July 2000 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE, NEW YORK, NEW YORK, WASHINGTON D.C., US
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA2WWFPH7Z1CTM5TFRDSDQGPXEZ
  • Story Text: The shroud of secrecy surrounding the much anticipated fourth Harry Potter childrens book has been lifted ... at least for one devoted reader.
    It was just a lucky break, but for one little girl in Virginia it's like magic. She is the first girl outside of the publishing world to be reading "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," nearly a full week before millions of other "Harry Potter" devotees will get their hands on the book.
    Eight-year old Laura Cantwell was handed the book by her father, who got it from a friend, who found it on sale at an area bookstore (the family won't say which one -- bookstores have signed agreements not to sell the book before 12:01 July 8, and even an accidental violation could be penalised.) Laura's reaction to the surprise? "Wow. I didnt know what to say. I was just amazed."
    Now a tenth of the way through the book, which is over 700 pages long, Laura is still in awe of the boy-wizard. "He's magical. He does things we could never do. He's just amazing."
    The fourth adventure of Potter, created by Edinburgh-based writer JK Rowling, is expected to sell over three million copies in its first priniting, has created a torrent of demand.
    Five semitrailer trucks carrying copies of the book rolled into the Amazon.Com distribution center in New Castle, Delaware recently in preparation for the biggest online bestseller ever, with pre-orders flooding in from across the globe.
    Anything above 5,000 copies is considered a respectable first print for any book but with Potter, Rowling has hit magical heights.
    Laura's father, Tim Cantwell said that envious Potter fans have contacted him with bids to buy the coveted book, but he's not selling.
    A local book seller in Washington plans to be open at the witching hour 12:01 when the books are released. Rich Horton, the manager of Cleveland Park bookstore said, "We've had people call up and ask if they could camp out before the store opens. I said if you're thirteen you ought to worry about curfew but aside from that - yeah, we've been encouraging it. We're trying to be as accessible to people as possible."
    Lucky fans in America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland will be able to get their hands on the book on the same day as British readers but other countries will have to wait.
    The saga is expected to be translated into 49 languages and sold in around 110 countries.
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