New Potter book set for wiz sales

By REBECCA WALSH

Fans have waited patiently for nearly three years - and the wait is nearly over.

At 11.01am next Saturday hundreds of boxes, which have been stored under lock and key in bookstores across New Zealand, will be ripped open to reveal the latest instalment in the Harry Potter series.

The embargoed worldwide release will see fans in Britain lining up for their much-coveted copy of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, at midnight.

With a week to go until the release of the fifth book in J.K. Rowling's phenomenally successful series, hundreds of New Zealanders have already ordered their copy - some putting in requests as early as last year.

Anne Whelan, owner of Dymock's Atrium on Elliott store in Auckland, said people had been asking when the book was coming out for the past two years. About 130 had ordered and she expected many more to do so before next Saturday.

"For a Harry Potter book it's pretty normal. For any other book it's pretty high. If you could get pre-orders on all new releases of 50 to 60 people waiting then that would be absolutely marvellous."

More than 300 people have ordered the hard-cover book at Paper Plus in Johnsonville.

"It's above the level of the last one. I think there's pent-up demand for this one," said owner John Ahradsen.

"It's brought boys back to reading ... it's made reading hip again," he said.

At Borders bookstore in Auckland hundreds of copies have been ordered, with more than 2000 copies brought in for the first day alone.

General manager Ken Moir said the series was in a category "all of its own".

Whitcoulls stores had received "thousands" of orders, said marketing manager Justin Boyes.

At Borders, children could take part in face-painting and wand-making sessions before getting down to the task of some serious reading, while staff at Whitcoulls and Dymocks would be dressed in costume. Others had magicians in store.

But anyone hoping for more than a whisper about Harry's latest adventures is out of luck.

Booksellers worldwide had to sign an embargo agreement and could face prosecution for letting the books out of the box before time.

Famous first words

Publishers are keeping quiet on the fifth Harry Potter book, except for a sneak preview of the start:

"The hottest day of the summer so far was drawing to a close and a drowsy silence lay over the large, square houses of Privet Drive ... The only person left outside was a teenage boy who was lying flat on his back in a flowerbed outside number four."

And a tad more ...

"Dumbledore lowered his hands and surveyed Harry through his half-moon glasses. 'It is time,' he said, 'for me to tell you what I should have told you five years ago, Harry. Please sit down. I am going to tell you everything.' "