Bloomsbury Publishing Plc and Scholastic have unveiled the cover design of the last book in the Harry Potter series, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” The art was created by Mary GrandPre, acclaimed illustrator of the six previous U.S. editions.
J.K. Rowling’s seventh and final Harry Potter book is due in stores on July 21st at 12:01 a.m.
“On the back cover spidery hands are outstretched toward Harry. Only when the book is opened does one see a powerful image of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, his glowing red eyes peering out from his hood,” Scholastic Vice President and Creative Director David Saylor said.
Scholastic has said it will print 12 million copies of the novel, surpassing the record previously held by the sixth book, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.” That one had a first printing of 10.8 million copies and sold 6.9 million within 24 hours.
“The (U.S.) front cover of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows features a dramatic sky of oranges and golds. It depicts 17-year-old Harry with arm outstretched, reaching upward. The structures around Harry show evident destruction and in the shadows behind him, we see outlines of other people,” said David Saylor.
The U.S. wraparound cover shows Harry and Voldemort in a kind of coliseum. The adult edition is a photo of a S-shaped amulet by Michael Wildsmith, who has photographed all the adult edition jackets. It looks like one of the Horcruxes, in which Voldemort stores parts of his soul. The UK edition depicts Harry into a treasure trove, along with Ron and Hermione. Jewels, coins and armor surround them, and an unidentified house elf can be seen behind Harry, armed with a sword.
“We’re seeing Harry in a very interesting situation,” the book’s editor, Arthur A. Levin, said on the “Today” show Wednesday. “Readers will find out exactly what the situation is. … We do know that someone’s going to die … It is a very, very emotional book.”
Scholastic Corporation is the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books. Its shares rose 18 cents to $30.40 at 4:30 p.m. New York time in Nasdaq Stock Market trading. More than 300 million Harry Potter books have been sold worldwide.
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