Books

Harry Potter books to get spiffy new editions for 20th anniversary

Brian Selznick is illustrating the new covers

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Published on January 17, 2018 08:40AM EST

To celebrate the series’ 20th anniversary, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books will be re-released in new editions this coming July, with seven brand-new covers designed and illustrated by the distinguished Brian Selznick (The Invention of Hugo Cabret). A collectible boxed set, also designed by Selznick, will later be made available in September.

“I’m a big Harry Potter fan and it is an incredible honor to illustrate J.K. Rowling’s iconic series,” Brian Selznick said in a statement. “I am thrilled to play a part in this exciting 20th anniversary celebration and look forward to meeting Harry Potter fans and readers across the country.”

The new editions are part of Scholastic’s year-long effort to celebrate the 20th anniversary of J.K. Rowling’s worldwide phenomenon. In addition to various events at bookstores and libraries around the country, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child makes its Broadway premiere this April, and the A History of Magic exhibition will land at the New York Historical Society on October 5. Scholastic first published Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in September 1998, a little more than a year after it landed in the U.K.

“Brian Selznick, with his unique and cinematic approach, is a visionary and the perfect artist to illustrate these new Harry Potter editions, for readers of all ages,” Ellie Berger, President of Scholastic Trade, said. “As the longtime U.S. publisher of Harry Potter, we’ve seen firsthand the impact of the series over the past twenty years — from the early support and enthusiasm among booksellers and librarians, to kids discovering the books for the first time, and to families and friends lining up for midnight parties. On this milestone anniversary, we are excited to join the legions of fans as we celebrate this cultural phenomenon, and look forward to introducing Harry Potter to a new generation of readers.”

As of 2017, more than 400 million Harry Potter titles had been sold. It’s the best-selling book series of all time.