Magical New Harry Potter Exhibit to Open at the New-York Historical Society in Today18

The British Library and the New-York Historical Society have announced that Harry Potter: A History of Magic will open at the New-York Historical Society in October 2018, following its run at the British Library in London from October 20, 2017 - February 28, 2018.

The exhibition's New York opening marks the 20th anniversary of the publication of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the U.S. by Scholastic, following the 20th anniversary celebrations of the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in the U.K. in 2017.

Ahead of the U.K. opening in London, Harry Potter: A History of Magic has already sold over 25,000 tickets-the highest amount of advance tickets ever sold for a British Library exhibition. Tickets are available to buy from the British Library website.

The exhibition unveils rare books, manuscripts, and magical objects from the British Library's collection, capturing the traditions of folklore and magic at the heart of the Harry Potter stories. Exploring the subjects studied at Hogwarts, the exhibition includes original drafts and drawings by J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter illustrator Jim Kay, going on display for the first time.

As it travels from London to New York, the exhibition will evolve to include U.S.-specific artifacts from New-York Historical's collection and items from U.S. Harry Potter publisher Scholastic's collection.

Jamie Andrews, Head of Culture and Learning at the British Library, said: "We are so excited to be taking a major exhibition to New York for the very first time. Harry Potter: A History of Magic promises to be a stunning exhibition, capturing the traditions of folklore and magic across the world, which are at the heart of the Harry Potter stories. We're delighted to be able to share this exhibition with fans across the pond following its run here in London, especially as we have the opportunity to develop the exhibition for a U.S. audience in collaboration with the New-York Historical Society and U.S. publisher Scholastic."

Louise Mirrer, President and CEO of the New-York Historical Society, said: "As the oldest museum in New York, the New-York Historical Society is honoured to present Harry Potter: A History of Magic in 2018 and bring these incredible treasures from the British Library to a whole new audience. The Harry Potter series has turned a generation into avid readers, and they're sure to be enchanted by this fascinating exploration of magical traditions and myths from across the world, which make the Harry Potter series so rich and exciting."

U.S. fans will also get a sneak peek of what to expect in the exhibition. On October 20, 2017, marking the day the exhibition opens in London, Scholastic will publish one of the two accompanying titles, Harry Potter: A Journey Through a History of Magic. Aimed at a family audience, this book showcases a selection of the amazing artifacts, manuscripts, original artwork, and magical objects included in the exhibition. Harry Potter: A Journey Through a History of Magic will be published by Scholastic simultaneously with U.K. print publishers Bloomsbury on October 20, alongside the eBook edition, which will be published in both markets by Pottermore.

In fall 2018, to accompany the exhibition in New York, Scholastic will also publish the official comprehensive companion book, Harry Potter: A History of Magic. A collaboration between the publishers and British Library curators, this lavishly produced, full-colour coffee-table book will make the exhibition experience available to everyone. Again, a digital edition will be published by Pottermore?this edition will have enhancements allowing the content to be navigated in multiple, digital-first ways and will feature additional visuals of exhibition artifacts.

The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and one of the world's greatest research libraries. It provides world class information services to the academic, business, research, and scientific communities and offers unparalleled access to the world's largest and most comprehensive research collection. The Library's collection has developed over 250 years and exceeds 150 million separate items representing every age of written civilisation and includes books, journals, manuscripts, maps, stamps, music, patents, photographs, newspapers and sound recordings in all written and spoken languages. Up to 10 million people visit the British Library website?www.bl.uk?every year where they can view up to 4 million digitised collection items and over 40 million pages. See more at: www.bl.uk

Founded in 1804, the New-York Historical Society has a mission to explore the richly layered history of New York City, state, and the country, as well as to serve as a national forum for the discussion of issues surrounding the making and meaning of history. New-York Historical is recognized for engaging the public with deeply researched and far-ranging exhibitions, such as Alexander Hamilton: The Man Who Made Modern America; Slavery in New York; Nature and the American Vision: The Hudson River School at the New-York Historical Society; The Grateful Dead: Now Playing at the New-York Historical Society; Nueva York; WWII & NYC; The Armory Show at 100: Modern Art and Revolution; Chinese American: Exclusion/Inclusion; Superheroes in Gotham; The First Jewish Americans: Freedom and Culture in the New World, and The Battle of Brooklyn. Supporting these exhibitions and related education programs is one of the world's greatest collections of historical artifacts, works of American art, and other materials documenting the history of the United States and New York. www.nyhistory.org

Bloomsbury Publishing is a leading independent publishing house. The children's division publishes books for children of all ages up to 16 in both print and e-formats. It publishes across preschool, picture books, fiction, and non-fiction. Its award-winning list includes authors such as J.K. Rowling, Neil Gaiman, Louis Sachar, and Sarah J. Maas, and illustrators such as Jim Kay, Chris Riddell, and Emily Gravett. For more information go to www.bloomsbury.com

The first book in the series of Harry Potter novels, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, was originally published by Bloomsbury in 1997. Since then Bloomsbury has published all seven of the Harry Potter novels in children's and adult editions, three charity books?Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Quidditch Through the Ages and The Tales of Beedle the Bard, and the ILLUSTRATED EDITION of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Bloomsbury are also the publishers for the physical audiobooks of the entire series.

Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL) is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books, a leading provider of print and digital instructional materials for pre-K to grade 12, and a producer of educational and entertaining children's media. The Company creates quality books and ebooks, print and technology-based learning programs, classroom magazines, and other products that, in combination, offer schools customized solutions to support children's learning both at school and at home. The Company also makes quality, affordable books available to all children through school-based book clubs and book fairs. With a 96 year history of service to schools and families, Scholastic continues to carry out its commitment to "Open a World of Possible" for all children. Learn more at www.scholastic.com

Pottermore, the digital publishing, e-commerce, entertainment, and news company from J.K. Rowling, is the global digital publisher of Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World. As the digital heart of J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World, pottermore.com is dedicated to unlocking the power of imagination. It offers news, features, and articles as well as new and previously unreleased writing by J.K. Rowling.

Illustration by Jim Kay © Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2016