New York,
NY (May
2,
2003) --
Scholastic announced today a
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix national contest, an exciting opportunity for American kids to attend a once-in-a lifetime event in London. Ten lucky winners and their chaperones will be the guests of Scholastic for an all-expense paid trip to London England to hear J.K. Rowling, the author of the phenomenally best-selling Harry Potter books, answer questions and read from her new, extraordinary novel,
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Fans are asked to write a 300 word essay answering the question “IF YOU COULD HAVE ONE SPECIAL POWER TAUGHT AT HOGWARTS, WHAT WOULD IT BE AND WHY?” Entries will be judged based on originality and clarity. Entrants must be residents of the United States and not older than eighteen as of May 21, 2003. Official rules of the contest are attached.
On June 26th at the historical Royal Albert Hall in London, J.K. Rowling will treat her fans to an exclusive event. The extraordinary afternoon will begin with a conversation between Rowling and Stephen Fry, narrator of the Harry Potter UK audiobooks. She will then read from
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and answer questions from children about the new book.
The
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix contest is part of Scholastic's multi-million dollar marketing campaign which will launch May 21, one month before the publication of the book. Scholastic is printing an initial unprecedented 6.8 million copies of
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix followed by an additional 1.7 copies for a total of 8.5 million, an all-time United States publishing record.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix goes on sale on June 21, 2003.
Scholastic is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books. Scholastic creates quality educational and entertaining materials and products for use in school and at home, including children's books, textbooks, magazines, technology-based products, teacher materials, television programming, videos and toys. The Company distributes its products and services through a variety of channels, including: proprietary school-based book clubs, school-based book fairs, and direct-to-home continuity programs; retail stores, schools, libraries, and television networks; and the Company's
www.scholastic.com Internet site.