Rumor: J.K. Rowling has been posting messages about "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" on Harry Potter fan sites.
Fact: That's false. On her own website, J.K. Rowling recently announced, "JKRowling.com is the only place I ever post."
Updated: June 6, 2005
Rumor: Security is so tight that there is no chance of the contents of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” being revealed before its release date on July 16, 2005.
Fact: Security may not be as tight as many people thought. According the news reports, “Two men were charged on Saturday with firearms offences after allegedly trying to sell a stolen copy of the new Harry Potter book to a tabloid newspaper before its release” (Reuters). While author J.K. Rowling has obtained an injunction against the two men so they won’t reveal anything about the book, the question remains: If one copy of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” was actually stolen, will it happen again and, if so, will the plot be leaked?
Updated: May 11, 2005
Rumor: The cover of Harry Potter 6 doesn't provide much in the way of clues as to the book's content.
Fact: Today, Scholastic released the cover art for the deluxe edition of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" and the following description,
- “In this spectacular artwork for the Deluxe Edition, layers of mystery unfold in a forested glen, where we find Harry Potter and Dumbledore peering through dense branches,” said David Saylor, Vice President, Creative Director, Scholastic. “Once again, Mary GrandPré's mysterious artwork beautifully features an eerie scene that tantalizes the reader with hints from the soon-to-be released, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.”
Updated: March 30, 2005
Rumor: While there were a lot of rumors about when Harry Potter 6 would be published, there have been few rumors about how many would be published.
Fact: Today, to the surprise of many, Scholastic, Inc. announced that it will publish a record-breaking first printing of 10.8 million copies of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" in the U.S. Wow! The publishing company also announced that it will mount a multi-million dollar marketing campaign, which will start on April 7th with the "100 Day Countdown to Harry" promotion.
Updated: March 9, 2005
Rumor: The deluxe edition of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" will be released several months after the July 16, 2005 publication date of the regular edition.
Fact: That's not true. Scholastic has announced that the deluxe edition will also be available on July 16, 2005. It sounds terrific. According to Scholastic's news release,
- The edition will include a 32-page insert on special paper at the end of the book featuring near scale reproductions of Mary GrandPré's interior art, as well as a never-before-seen piece of full-color-art for the frontispiece. The book, which comes in a foil-stamped cardboard slipcase printed with the "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" cover image, will also include a blind-stamped cloth case, full-color endpapers printed with the jacket art from the regular edition, luxurious foil, and a wraparound jacket featuring exclusive, suitable-for-framing art from Mary GrandPré.
Updated: March 8, 2005
Rumor: Today, publishers Scholastic and Bloomsbury released cover art for "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."
Fact: It's true. The cover art for the Scholastic edition was created by Mary GrandPré, who also created the cover art for the Scholastic editions of the first five books in the Harry Potter series. Jason Cockcroft created the for the Bloomsbury children's edition of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." Cover art for the Bloomsbury adult edition was created from a photograph by Michael Wildsmith. You can see both versions on the Bloomsbury site.
Updated: February 11, 2005
Rumor: The Scholastic edition of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" will be more than 650 pages.
Fact: According to several online booksellers, the regular edition will be 672 pages, while the deluxe edition will be 704 pages.
Updated: February 11, 2005
Rumor: There will be a deluxe edition of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" published on the July 16, 2005 publication date.
Fact: That's true. In addition to the regular edition, many booksellers are already taking orders for the deluxe edition, which will be in a slipcase and have special illustrations.
