A rare first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone sold for £118,000 ($152,000) at Bonhams’ ‘Fine Books, Atlases, Manuscripts & Photographs’ sale on 11 March in Knightsbridge, London. It had a pre-sale estimate of £70,000-90,000 ($87,000-112,000). The work was signed by J. K. Rowling “to Bryony... the first person ever to see merit in Harry Potter”.
Bryony Evens was the office manager for the literary agent Christopher Little in 1996 when she picked up a three-chapter submission from the slush pile and started reading. Instantly hooked, Bryony asked Little to request that the author send the rest of the book. They soon received the full manuscript for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by the then unknown J.K. Rowling, and like a cast spell, the rest is history.
This unique copy of the highly desirable rare first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone really was a little piece of Harry Potter history.
Having been rejected by twelve publishers, the book was sold to Bloomsbury for £2,500 in 1996, and in 1997 was published in an edition of 500 hardback copies. It went on to be the most successful book, and subsequent franchise, in publishing history.
Though Evens had since left the agency, she received a copy of the book upon its publication. Despite her and Rowling having corresponded previously, she did not actually meet the author until 1998 when she queued up for a signature at the Cheltenham Literary Festival and introduced herself. Rowling was there to promote her second book Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Upon hearing to whom the copy of her first book should be inscribed, Rowling leapt up and gave Evens a hug of gratitude. She signed the copy to ‘To Bryony – who is the most important person I have ever met in a signing queue & the first person to see merit in Harry Potter. With huge thanks. J K Rowling.” The word ‘huge’ is underlined four times.
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"This is a truly unique copy of a highly desirable rare first edition of the book that introduced millions of adoring fans to J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world," said Luke Batterham, Bonhams Fine Books and Manuscript Specialist. “Bryony’s story is world famous – she even appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show – and her copy really is a little piece of Harry Potter history. You can sense Rowling’s gratitude, in this inscription, to the person who saved Harry Potter from the rejection pile.”
“This unique copy of the highly desirable rare first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone really was a little piece of Harry Potter history," said Matthew Haley, Head of Bonhams Fine Books and Manuscripts Department. "I’m not surprised that it attracted such interest and achieved such an impressive price.”
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Other highlights of the sale include Walter Raleigh’s own copy of Tasso’s Rime et prose, Venice, 1584, which sold for £47,000 ($59,000) from an estimate of £30,000-50,000 ($37,000-62,000).
Additionally, Manet (Edouard) Poe (Edgar Allan)’s Le Corbeau; The Raven: Poëme, traduction française de Stéphane Mallarmé avec illustrations par Edouard Manet, Paris, Richard Lesclide, 1875, sold for £31,000 ($38,000) against £25,000-35,000 ($31,000-43,000).
