Signed Deluxe Illustrated “Philosopher’s Stone” to be Auctioned for Lumos

by · November 12, 2015

A one-of-a-kind copy of the deluxe illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone will be sold at an upcoming Sotherby’s auction to raise money for Lumos. Two previous items have been sold on behalf of J.K. Rowling at Sotherby’s – a handwritten copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard in 2007, which sold for an unprecedented figure of £1,950,000, and an exclusive charm bracelet in 2013, which raised £20,000 for Lumos.

The exclusive, first-edition book is signed by J.K. Rowling and has the following phrase inscribed on the title page:

The Book that changed my life.

Illustrator Jim Kay has added a drawing of a dragon and his own note, which reads

Mine too! Thank you, Jo.

You can see the inscriptions and drawing in the image below.

 

Jim Kay JK Rowling Signed Philosophers Stone

 

The book, which has been given an estimate of £2,000-3,000, is

the first printed copy of the deluxe full-colour illustrated edition of ‘Harry Potter and [t]he Philosopher’s Stone’ published by Bloomsbury on 5th [sic] November 2015. An advance copy, it was hand-bound in Italy and is the only book to contain the inscriptions and unique dragon illustration.

The book is accompanied by a letter of authentication from the Publishing Director at Bloomsbury, which states

this is the first advance copy of the [d]eluxe [e]dition. It was hand bound ahead of the binding of the rest of the print run and sent from our printer in Italy… ready for signing by J.K. Rowling and Jim Kay.

Of course, this book is something that any Potter fan would love to get their hands on, and it’s being sold for a fantastic cause, but unfortunately, it’s probably out of the price range of most Potter fans! Find out more about how you can support Lumos and the great work it does here. We wonder who will be lucky enough to buy the book this December!

Find out more about rare and signed books here.

The auction will take place on December 17, 2015, in London. Find out more in the press release below.

Press Release
“The Book that Changed my Life”

Deluxe Illustrated Edition of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”

Inscribed by J.K. Rowling

& With an Original Illustration of a Baby Dragon by Illustrator Jim Kay

To be offered for Sale to Benefit J.K. Rowling’s Children’s Charity, Lumos

SALE IN LONDON, 17TH DECEMBER 2015

London, 12 November 2015: A deluxe illustrated edition of J.K. Rowling's “Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone” containing inscriptions from the author (“The Book that changed my life. │J.K. Rowling”), and the illustrator ("Mine too! Thank you Jo. | Jim Kay"), with an original drawing by Jim Kay of a baby dragon, will be offered for sale at Sotheby’s London on 17thDecember 2015.

This is the first printed copy of the deluxe full-colour illustrated edition of “Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone” published by Bloomsbury on 5th November 2015.* An advance copy, it was hand-bound in Italy, and is the only book to contain the inscriptions and unique dragon illustration.

Estimated at £2,000-3,000, the book is being sold to benefit Lumos (registered charity number 1112575), an international non-profit organisation founded by J.K. Rowling. The organisation works to support the eight million children in institutions worldwide to regain their right to a family life and to end the institutionalisation of children globally by 2050. Lumos is named after the light-giving spell that J.K. Rowling created in Harry Potter that brings light to desperately dark and frightening places.

It is accompanied by a letter of provenance from the Publishing Director of Bloomsbury Children's Books: "this is the first advance copy of the Deluxe Edition. It was hand bound ahead of the binding of the rest of the print run and sent from our printer in Italy... ready for signing by J.K. Rowling and Jim Kay."

Historic Harry Potter Prices at Sotheby’s

2007 saw the sale of J.K. Rowling’s “The Tales of Beedle the Bard” for an unprecedented £1,950,000 (est. £30,000-50,000). It was one of just seven copies of the book – each different from each other - hand-written and illustrated by J.K. Rowling.

In 2013, Sotheby’s auctioned the “Lumos Maxima” bracelet, a bespoke sterling silver charm bracelet made by Hamilton & Inches, based on designs by J.K Rowling and inspired by her Harry Potter books, for £20,000 (est. £15,000-20,000). The charms included Harry Potter's bolt of lightning; glasses and broomstick; a Golden Snitch; Dark Mark skull set with amethyst eyes; Slytherin locket; a winged key; The Tales of Beedle the Bard book; the Sorting Hat; the Deathly Hallows symbol and a wand, which acts as the fastener. 100% of the net sale proceeds went directly to J.K. Rowling’s children’s charity, Lumos.

Lumos

Lumos is an international non-governmental, non-profit organisation formed by J.K. Rowling to help countries reform their services for vulnerable children, moving from systems based on residential institutions and orphanages to services that help families stay together in the community. Currently 80% of the estimated eight million children living in “orphanages” or other out-of-family settings have families. Lumos’ mission draws on decades of scientific evidence showing that institutions have a negative impact on children’s physical, emotional and intellectual development. After a decade working with governments in Central and Eastern Europe, Lumos recently started work in Latin America and the Caribbean, focusing on Haiti - where more than 30,000 children, 80% of whom have families, now live in orphanages.