Harry Potter prequel breaks short story sales record
Harry Potter prequel helps short story collection break sales record
Friday, 08, Aug 2008 02:37
A book featuring a prequel to the Harry Potter series of novels has becoming the fastest-ever selling collection of short stories in the UK.
What's Your Story, a printed postcard book featuring the works by Rowling, Tom Stoppard, Irvine Welsh and Nobel laureate Doris Lessing among others went on sale on Thursday.
And more than 10,000 copies were sold on its first day of publication, with some book stores sold out by lunchtime.
"The limited edition What's Your Story? postcard collection has very nearly sold out on its first day of release, though customers should rest assured that there are still handfuls of copies left around the country," a Waterstones spokesman was quoted by the Press Association as saying.
"The magnitude of sales easily makes it the fastest selling short story collection since records began in 1994. There just isn't anything comparable."
Rowling's outline begins with a handwritten dedication reading: "From the prequel I am not working on - but that was fun!"
The short story, set three years before Harry Potter's birth, revolves around his father James and his friend Sirius Black.
All 13 cards were auctioned at Sotheby's without a reserve price in June, with the proceeds going to the English PEN and Dyslexia Action charities.