Has J.K. Rowling seen your bibliography? If so, what was her reaction?
I have kept J.K. Rowling and Neil Blair, her agent, fully informed of progress over the five years it has taken to write the bibliography. They have seen various drafts at several important moments. J.K. Rowling described the book as “slavishly thorough and somewhat mind-boggling”. That’s possibly the highest praise for which a bibliographer could wish.
Did you work closely with J.K. Rowling’s agents and publishers?
Yes, I had the delight of trawling through many archive boxes at Bloomsbury. When someone packs material in a box and sends it off to storage it’s frequently an exercise in reclaiming desk space. They don’t imagine future researchers will sit in a corner sifting through the piles of paper. That was tremendously rewarding. But also the opportunity to ask others to access information has been invaluable. The staff at The Blair Partnership have been exceptionally helpful in trying to uncover precise facts.
What drew you to compile a bibliography of J.K. Rowling’s work?
I work within the book department at Sotheby’s and regularly sell collectable editions of Rowling’s work. One day a well-respected book dealer complained to me of the lack of a Rowling bibliography. Gossip was being claimed as fact and there was no reliable point of reference. As my academic background is in bibliography and I had worked with J.K. Rowling on a major project previously, I thought researching her bibliography would be an interesting project. I was rather amazed at how receptive everyone was to the proposal.
What do you find most interesting about J.K. Rowling’s work?
That’s a tricky one. Personally I find the plots staggeringly well-constructed. Each Harry Potter story works as a separate book, but there’s also the entirely consistent plotting across all seven books. It’s little wonder that the author has now turned to detective fiction for the ability to construct, take apart and analyse a plot is, I think, a crucial part of her writing.
Can you tell us one surprising or little known fact about the publishing history of Harry Potter?
One of the big facts is the number of hardback and paperback copies printed of the first edition of the first book. Both were published on the same day with 500 hardbacks and 5150 paperbacks. In the past there have been stories of a total of 500 hardbacks and paperbacks. I’m also delighted to describe what appears to be the first appearance in print of any Harry Potter. Most people would assume this would be the proof printing, but no. Bloomsbury published a volume of forthcoming highlights in early 1997. The complete fourth chapter of Philosopher’s Stone was included.
What is the most interesting item associated with J.K. Rowling that you have had in your hands?
That’s a very easy one. I’ll take off my bibliographer’s hat and wear my Sotheby’s one. In December 2007 Sotheby’s was approached to sell a handwritten copy of J.K. Rowling’s The Tales of Beedle the Bard. I was responsible for the cataloguing and later accompanied the book to the United States for exhibition. The text was unpublished at that stage and every page was in the author’s distinctive handwriting; it was quite an object. When the hammer came down after a fierce bidding war, the result of £1.95million was a world record for a children’s book and also a modern literary manuscript. But more important it was to benefit a wonderful charity – now called Lumos. I had handled an exceptional piece but also played a small role in helping the charity.
What do you think will most interest Harry Potter fans in your bibliography?
The basic facts. There will also be those who want to work out if they have a rare edition. All the information to tell is in the bibliography. A bibliography is, of course, a guide to an author. But who knew that there are four issues of The Daily Prophet which were published by Bloomsbury for the Harry Potter fan club and each of these was written by J.K. Rowling. There’s also a section in the bibliography entitled ‘Books and Pamphlets with contributions by J.K. Rowling’ as it’s worth remembering that the author has published other material outside her own books. Indeed, this section has twenty entries. Where would you need to look to find a letter written by Jo (aged 45) to her 16 year-old self? Or, perhaps, telling us about great books to read aloud? Of course, the bibliography doesn’t include these texts – but the book does identify the canon.
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