New Harry Potter book has most presales since ... the last Harry Potter book
It's less than a week now until Harry Potter and the Cursed Child hits bookshelves, both real and virtual, at midnight on Sunday, July 31. Finally, readers will find out what happened after grown-up Harry sent his son to Hogwarts.
It's not a novel, and it's not written by J.K. Rowling, though it is based on a story by the author. It's the script of a two-part play penned by Skins screenwriter Jack Thorne, which is currently in previews and officially launches in London's West End July 30. Nevertheless, what's being billed as "the eighth story in the Harry Potter series" is already breaking records, according to both Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Barnes & Noble, which lost nearly $3 million in its most recently reported quarter, is especially cheered by the news. The company revealed Monday that Cursed Child is its most pre-ordered book since ... well, since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows supposedly wrapped up Rowling's series back in 2007.
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"We expect it to be our biggest-selling book of the year,” said Mary Amicucci, chief merchandising officer at Barnes & Noble, in a press release.
The last U.S. book chain standing said last month its in-store sales were expected to be flat this year compared to last -- but Harry could change all that. The store is planning a series of midnight launch parties across the country this weekend.
Meanwhile, Amazon reported this weekend that the book was its top preorder of the year, in both print and ebook form. The online retailer enthused about how it could turn a whole generation of kids onto theater.
"I could easily see young fans adapting to the format and using it to act out the play on their own," said Amazon Books Editor Seira Wilson.
Deathly Hallows, book seven in the series, sold 15 million copies worldwide in just the first day of its release nine years ago, an all-time record.
No prizes for guessing which book it took that record from: book six in the series, a.k.a. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.
Mashable will have full coverage of Cursed Child, and a review of the script, when it releases this weekend.
Topics Books Harry Potter
Chris is a veteran tech, entertainment and culture journalist, author of 'How Star Wars Conquered the Universe,' and co-host of the Doctor Who podcast 'Pull to Open.' Hailing from the U.K., Chris got his start as a sub editor on national newspapers. He moved to the U.S. in 1996, and became senior news writer for Time.com a year later. In 2000, he was named San Francisco bureau chief for Time magazine. He has served as senior editor for Business 2.0, and West Coast editor for Fortune Small Business and Fast Company. Chris is a graduate of Merton College, Oxford and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He is also a long-time volunteer at 826 Valencia, the nationwide after-school program co-founded by author Dave Eggers. His book on the history of Star Wars is an international bestseller and has been translated into 11 languages.
