J.K. Rowling has gained world fame for her globally adored Harry Potter books, but her latest literary venture won't be featuring teen wizardry. Her most recent efforts have gone towards a collection of five handwritten fairy tales, a collection titled The Tales of Beedle the Bard.
Potter fans will remember that The Tales of Beedle the Bard were the name of the gift Hermione was given by Dumbedore in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
"The Tales of Beedle the Bard' is really a distillation of the themes found in the Harry Potter books, and writing it has been the most wonderful way to say goodbye to a world I have loved and lived in for 17 years," Rowling said.
She wrote and illustrated a limited seven of these books by hand in morocco leather books encrusted with semiprecious stones. Some will be given away as gifts while others will be auctioned off, the proceeds of which will go towards The Children's Voice charity. The starting bid at the December 13 Sotheby's auction will be $62,000.
Trend Hunter has featured Rowling several times in the last weeks, both when news broke she would be suing a fan site over copyright infringement and when she announced one character's controversial sexual orientation:
J.K. Rowling's Handwritten/Illustrated Books
The Tales of Beedle the Bard
Trend Themes
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Industry Implications
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2. Art - Disruptive innovation opportunity for artists to collaborate with authors or create their own illustrated books.
3. Auction Houses - Disruptive innovation opportunity for auction houses to expand into the market of selling exclusive and rare handwritten/illustrated books.