Harry Potter Prequel Sold for £25,000 at Waterstone’s Charity Auction

A 800-word prequel to the Harry Potter series, handwritten and signed by JK Rowling, sold for £ 25,000 at a charity auction night led Waterstoneâ? S to benefit English PEN and Dyslexia Action. The card was one of 13 original storycards A5 donated by world-renowned authors to the book Chaina?? S What???? S Your Story? Campaign, raising a total of  £ 47,150 for two charities. The auction was taken by Sotheby?? S auctioneer Edward Rising and attracted a bidding frenzy. Other high bids from the evening included Tom Stoppard?? S card which sold for £ 4,000. 00, and Doris Lessing?? S, which sold for £ 3,000. 00. JK Rowling said: â???? I had fun writing the card and the IA???? M absolutely delighted he has raised a £ 25,000 for two such worthy causes. â?? JK Rowling?? s story is set three years before Harry is born and features the characters Sirius Black and James Potter, Harry???? s father. The story begins with a young Sirius and James cornered by two police officers furious at the end of a high-speed chase of the motorcycle. After an exchange brazen with the police, the two teenage characters make their escape – using broomsticks, â?? Drumsticks?? and a little magic. The card ends with the handwritten words â?? â?? From the prequel I am not working on one???? but it was fun! â?? and JK Rowling?? s signature, dated May 2008. Gerry Johnson, managing director Waterstoneâ?? S said: â???? We never imagined when Waterstoneâ?? S began Whata???? S Your Story? wiping out the writers who have won the Booker, the Nobel and other awards so many great storytellers one and all, including the author of best selling books in history. Wea?? Re proud to have helped raise so much for two wonderful charities, both significantly, especially in this National Year of Reading. â?? To meet the massive demand from fans to read these stories Waterstoneâ?? s already taking pre-orders for an exclusive limited edition Whata?? s Your Story? postcard book published in early August, with all profits going back to the two charities. Also, starting tomorrow, June 11, every story will be available to read, Waterstones. com and Waterstoneâ?? s shop windows. Waterstoneâ? National Press S Jon Howells said: â??? Waterstoneâ? S is very grateful to the 13 authors of allowing us to host their stories online and in stores, and the role in the book of postcards, for which wea???? I have already taken several thousand pre-orders. This means that not only charity, but of the whole world will read these smaller, but tales perfectlyformed. â?? The complete list of authors who donated to the Whata???? s Your Story? the auction is: Lisa Appignanesi, Margaret Atwood, Lauren Child, Sebastian Faulks, Richard Ford, Neil Gaiman, Nick Hornby, Doris Lessing, Michael Rosen, JK Rowling, Axel Scheffler, Tom Stoppard, Irvine Welsh y. Proceeds from the auction and all proceeds from the sale of postcards book will go to English PEN and Dyslexia Action. Lisa Appignanesi, President, English PEN says: 'English PEN is deeply grateful to Waterstoneâ?? S and all the writers who freely gave their words to create this event fairy tales. The money raised will go to the work of PEN in the liberation of the words of writers around the world and the promotion of literature, which provides a bridge for greater understanding between people everywhere. "Shirley Cramer, Dyslexia Action's Executive Director, added:" We are very grateful to the wonderful storytellers and Waterstoneâ? S. Proceeds help Dyslexia Action supports many more children and adults to become readers. Â? ??? Another highlight of the evening included Margaret Atwood joining the auction live from Paris to write her original storycard through its unique LongPenâ? ¢ machine that lets you sign books remotely using a touch sensitive pad and a computer link to guide a robotic arm. Highlights of the auction storycards to be included in the What?? s Your Story? book card include: – Lisa Appignanesi â?? Appignanesi has delivered a smart, poignant love story allconsuming and the consequences of desire, Margaret Atwood â?? The winner of the Man Booker talks about marital strife of a home in Canute? Lauren Child with explosive results â??? use all his skills as a writer and artist, Lauren Child's rumination the eternal bad hair days is usually very creative and fun-Sebastian Faulks â?? Desire and obsession lie at the heart of Faulks classical-inspired erotic tale Richard Ford â??? selfless determination of a strange thing to do well in the face of pain inspires other when they pass on a train, in Ford?? study s typically reflective Neil Gaiman â?? Gaiman is a master of short stories, and this story is a great example of his work??? creepy, scary and with a touch murderer. A great detective reflects on a series of gruesome murders: the murderer is loose in the woods, or somewhere close to home? | – Nick Hornby â? ?? Hornby calls in his love for pop culture of this mixture of collage and text, introducing the newest, oddest superhero on the scene? Nightburner! – Doris Lessing â?? The Nobel laureateâ? ? s is a story that celebrates the power of reading and tug at the heartstrings of any bibliophile Michael Rosen â?? Children? s Laureate offers a poignant tale that shows that not only Cana??? Do not fight City Hall, is Cana??? t-800 bid that is JK Rowling – Rowling history of the word reveals an exclusive prequel to the Harry Potter series. The letter ends with the handwritten words â??? â? ?? From the prequel I am not working on one???? but it was fun! â?? and the author???? s signature, dated May 2008 – Axel Scheffler â?? In four perfect frames, Scheffler tells a small but perfectly formed, the Gruffalo story with a brilliant shot of Tom Stoppard â?? do not get anything past Inspector Chamberlain in Tom Stoppard? s brilliant theatrical short mystery Irvine Welsh – www whatsyourstory This tale of a taciturn oil rig worker at odds with his lot of time in Wales is full of earthy language and humourwww. Waterstones. com /. Waterstones. com www. waterstoneswys. com