Patronus art auction for BookTrust kicks off celebrations marking 20 years of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Published on: 10 June 2019
Bloomsbury will join forces with BookTrust this July to mark a very significant date for all Harry Potter fans...
Image credit: Jim Kay
July 8 2019 marks 20 years since the first publication of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in the UK. This spellbinding third book in the phenomenally successful Harry Potter series introduced readers to the notion of casting their Patronus – a protective spell that manifests as a silvery animal guardian.
‘The Patronus turned. It was cantering back towards Harry across the still surface of the water. It wasn’t a horse. It wasn’t a unicorn, either. It was a stag. It was shining brightly as the moon above … it was coming back to him …’
Bloomsbury – the home of Harry Potter books in the UK– has joined forces with BookTrust, the UK’s largest reading charity, to mark 20 years of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban with a thrilling event that celebrates the Patronus Charm in all of its magical forms.
Incredible illustrations of Patronus creatures
Along with brand-new House Editions, featuring stunning artwork by Levi Pinfold, Bloomsbury will be celebrating this momentous occasion with two incredibly exciting projects.
A stellar line-up of over 20 top UK children’s book illustrators – including Bloomsbury Harry Potter book artists Jim Kay, Jonny Duddle, Levi Pinfold, Emily Gravett and Chris Riddell – are creating ORIGINAL postcard-sized illustration of Patronus creatures.
Illustrators taking part are:
- Dapo Adeola
- Steve Antony
- Rob Biddulph
- Jonny Duddle
- Jim Field
- Emily Gravett
- Mini Grey
- Sophy Henn
- Yasmeen Ismail
- Jim Kay
- Neal Layton
- Steven Lenton
- James Mayhew
- Sarah McIntyre
- Miraphora Mina
- Eduardo Lima
- Tom Percival
- Liz Pichon
- Levi Pinfold
- Catherine Raynor
- Chris Riddell
- Nadia Shireen
- Alex T Smith
- Rachel Suzanne
- Joe Todd-Stanton
- Ken Wilson-Max
Prospective purchasers will be able to bid for the pieces online at BookTrust’s eBay for Charity page, which will be live at 6pm BST on Monday July 8th, and the postcards will be displayed during that week at Waterstones Piccadilly.
With a wealth of talent from the world of children’s books, these unique interpretations of the animal form of the Patronus are guaranteed to be a must-have for fans of all ages.
Meanwhile, Bloomsbury is working closely with The Week Junior magazine to challenge children in schools throughout the UK to create their own ‘Patronus on a Postcard’ and win some amazing Harry Potter prizes. The competition runs from June 7-27th. Judges include Harry Potter illustrator Levi Pinfold and The Week Junior’s editor-in-chief Anna Bassi.
Topics: News
