Pottermore Website to be Exclusive Source for ‘Harry Potter’ eBooks
LONDON—June 23, 2011—J.K. Rowling answered mounting speculation about the nature of her new project and announced Pottermore, a unique and free-to-use website that builds an exciting online experience around the reading of her hugely successful Harry Potter books, and is partnered by Sony.
Pottermore will become an online shop where people can purchase exclusively the long-awaited “Harry Potter” eBooks, in partnership with her publishers worldwide, and is ultimately intended to become an online reading experience, extending the relevance of Harry Potter to new generations of readers, while still appealing to existing fans.
For this groundbreaking collaborative project, J.K. Rowling has written extensive new material about the characters, places and objects in the much-loved stories, which will inform, inspire and entertain readers as they journey through the storylines of the books.
(Editor’s note: The announcement video is worth checking out for the book imagery alone.)
As the Pottermore Shop develops, it is intended to include further products designed specifically for Harry Potter fans, offering a potential outlet for Sony products and services related to Pottermore. In keeping with Harry Potter’s international appeal, the site will launch in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish, with more languages to follow.
In the new website, which launches in Beta on July 31, the storylines will be brought to life with sumptuous newly-commissioned illustrations and interactive “Moments” through which users can navigate, starting with the first book, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s (Sorcerer’s) Stone.”
On entering, you choose a magic username and begin your experience. As you move through the chapters, you can read and share exclusive writing from J.K. Rowling, and, just as Harry joins Hogwarts, so can you. You visit Diagon Alley, get sorted into a house, and cast spells and mix potions to help your house compete for the House Cup.
At a press conference at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, Rowling revealed some key features of the website. She described how she has brought to life both the Sorting Hat and Ollivanders experiences from her books for the first time on Pottermore, by revealing the questions asked by the Sorting Hat, which places newcomers into their Hogwarts houses according to their characteristics, and the magic behind the Wand Chooser, which finds the right wand for each user from over 33,000 possible combinations. She also revealed glimpses of the new information she has provided on some of the best-loved characters.
Rowling’s announcement on YouTube and sony.com today revealed that Pottermore (along with the Pottermore Shop) will be open to all users in October 2011. From today, fans can submit their e-mail addresses on Pottermore.com in order to be contacted by the site following the opening of registration on July 31, Harry’s birthday. Also on that date, an online challenge will be launched, whereby the first million people to complete their registration will gain early entry into the website, and help put final touches to the experience.
Rowling commented, “I wanted to give something back to the fans that have followed Harry so devotedly over the years, and to bring the stories to a new digital generation. I hope fans and those new to Harry will have as much fun helping to shape Pottermore as I have. To add to my input into the website, everyone will be able to join in by submitting their own comments, drawings and other content in a safe and friendly environment—Pottermore has been designed as a place to share the stories with your friends as you journey through the site.”
Pottermore has been made possible with the support and partnership of Sony.
Source: Pottermore.