David Maybury | Blog

What would Christmas be without Harry Potter? Like the coca-cola Santa tune and the Pennys/Primark radio ad, Harry Potter has become synonymous with Christmas in our house. The movie release has been put on the long finger this year so The Tales of Beedle the Bard is the festive choice.

I haven’t landed my hands on a copy, yet, but reviews started to appear in newspapers on Thursday:

The pared-down language is tinged with antiquity but never patronises. Her gift for finding the perfect name, and the unexpected twist is undimmed. - Amanda Craig, Times UK

Features in the Guardian and Independent UK have a look at the launches up and down the UK while Nicolette Jones over at Book Brunch bemoans the decision by booksellers not to sell the book at cover price:

I wish the book trade would - belatedly, and for once - sell this volume at the cover price of £6.99. It is £3.49 at Tescos, Waterstone’s, on Amazon, and at W H Smith, though from 3-8 December it is only 99p at Smiths IF you spend another £15 (including on stationery or gifts). At  Borders it is £5.29 online, though on launch night it was £4.99 and while stocks lasted came with two free books, Jonathan Stroud’s The Amulet of Samarkand and Justin Somper’s Demons of the Ocean - each the first in a series, and thereby properly encouraging future sales. On the whole, though, such an opportunity has been thrown away over the years by the discounting of the Harry Potter books.

And a note for the more charitable of ye - the net proceeds from the sale of the book will go to charity , The Children’s High Level Group (CHLG), which campaigns for the rights of eastern European children.

I hope that The Tales of Beedle the Bard will not only be a welcome Christmas present to Harry Potter fans, but an opportunity to give these abandoned children a voice - JK Rowling.