Recording the author’s weariness with revisions, and hugger mugger meetings over manuscripts, new book collects ‘definitive’ behind-the-scenes stories
The door to the chamber of secrets has opened a crack, as a bibliography of JK Rowling’s work reveals insider details about the publication of her bestselling Harry Potter series, shedding light on why extensive edits to the Prisoner of Azkaban left the author “sick” of the novel, and how the manuscript of The Order of the Phoenix was handed over in a London pub, concealed in a plastic bag.
Author and Sotheby’s director for children’s books Philip Errington has spent five years compiling the 544-page JK Rowling: A Bibliography 1997-2013, a work described as “slavishly thorough and somewhat mind-boggling” by Rowling which has just been published by Bloomsbury Academic. As well as providing complete bibliographic details of each edition of all Rowling’s books to date, in order to “record fact and dispel rumour” – and enable fans to work out if they might have a rare edition – Errington has also dug through Bloomsbury’s archives and interviewed its staff to include detailed information on the publishing history of Rowling’s books.
“Finally! I’ve read this book so much I’m sick of it, I never read either of the others over and over again when editing them, but I really had to this time,” writes Rowling in an undated letter to her editor Emma Matthewson about the Prisoner of Azkaban, quoted by Errington in his book. “If you think it needs more work, I’m willing and able, but I do think this draft represents an improvement on the first; the dementors are much more of a presence this time round, I think,” she adds.
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Author and Sotheby’s director for children’s books Philip Errington has spent five years compiling the 544-page JK Rowling: A Bibliography 1997-2013, a work described as “slavishly thorough and somewhat mind-boggling” by Rowling which has just been published by Bloomsbury Academic. As well as providing complete bibliographic details of each edition of all Rowling’s books to date, in order to “record fact and dispel rumour” – and enable fans to work out if they might have a rare edition – Errington has also dug through Bloomsbury’s archives and interviewed its staff to include detailed information on the publishing history of Rowling’s books.
“Finally! I’ve read this book so much I’m sick of it, I never read either of the others over and over again when editing them, but I really had to this time,” writes Rowling in an undated letter to her editor Emma Matthewson about the Prisoner of Azkaban, quoted by Errington in his book. “If you think it needs more work, I’m willing and able, but I do think this draft represents an improvement on the first; the dementors are much more of a presence this time round, I think,” she adds.
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