U.K. publisher Bloomsbury made everyone's day on Tuesday, when it announced, via its quarterly report, that two new Harry Potter books are come this fall to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the wizarding world. The books will be released in coordination with the Harry Potter exhibit at the British Library, which opens Oct. 20. The books are being released in England, and there does not yet seem to be a plan to bring them to the U.S.
The two new Harry Potter books that Bloomsbury U.K. announced won't include new stories about the original characters, but will instead explore the magic world Rowling created. Harry Potter: A History of Magic, The Book of the Exhibition will take British Library-goers inside the subjects that made up the foundation for a Hogwarts education, "from Alchemy and Potions classes through to Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures."
Harry Potter, A Journey Through a History of Magic delves into the historical and mythological inspirations for Rowling's invented world, and includes the author's personal sketches and notes, Jim Kay illustrations, and recipes for fun things like potions and invisible ink.
Two decades after Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone first appeared on U.K. bookshelves, the Harry Potter brand continues to draw in audiences. J.K. Rowling's wizard hero moved onto the stage last year with Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which is coming to Broadway in 2018 after selling out in London. The Nov. 10 premiere of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them kicked off a new film series set in the world of Harry Potter, and is expected to receive four sequels. And Rowling practically broke the internet in December, when she announced that she was hard at work on two new books, one of which will be set in the Harry Potter universe.
Harry Potter: A History of Magic, The Book of the Exhibition and Harry Potter, A Journey Through a History of Magic will be available on Oct. 20.
