Rowling gives Beedle the Bard for Christmas

The Tales of Beedle the Bard, soon to be public property
Harry Potter may have waved his wand for the last time, but JK Rowling is set to cast another spell over the bookbuying public this Christmas. The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Rowling's valediction to the world of child wizardry, is to be published for the mass market on December 4 with all proceeds to go to Rowling's charity.
Rowling originally handwrote and illustrated six copies of the book as thank-yous to people closely involved with the Harry Potter books. A seventh copy, bound in brown morocco leather and mounted with silver and semiprecious stones, was auctioned at Sotheby's last December, eventually going to online bookseller Amazon for £1.95m.

Amazon will produce up to 100,000 facsimile "collector's editions" (at $100/50 pounds) and Scholastic and Bloomsbury will print and distribute trade editions--all on behalf of the Children's High Level Group, a charity co-founded by Rowling to help children suffering in institutions. (CHLG is technically the publisher.)The charitable group will receive all "net proceeds," estimated in the release to be about $8 million. Though in a quote from Rowling, she says the charity will receive the "royalties." (Note that Amazon's edition alone would gross $10 million....).

Rowling says in the announcement: "There was understandable disappointment among Harry Potter fans when only one copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard was offered to the public last December. I am therefore delighted to announce that, thanko the generous support of Bloomsbury, Scholastic and Amazon (who bought the handwritten copy at auction) - and with the blessing of the wonderful people who own the other six original books - The Tales of Beedle the Bard will now be widely available to all Harry Potter fans."

Reporting from The Guardian and Publishers Lunch.