Harry Potter rocks! That’s the mood among Potter fans, who are excited about the release of the seventh and final book in the series—Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows—on Saturday. The City awaits July 21 with bated breath. Metrolife spoke to to bookstores to find out the other side of the picture.
Crossword bookstore has seen a rush of pre-launch bookings for the book. Rajan Das, the GM says, “We have received many bookings and it is double than last year. The bookings started mid-May. We have recieved a very good response from the public and we will open the bookstall at 5.30 am on Saturday, though billing will begin at 6 am.”
At Gangaram bookstore too, the demand has soared. “When compared to previous years, the demand this time has been really high. Usually the store opens at 10 am, but on Saturday, our store will be opened at 6.30 am. Every Sunday, we’ve remain closed, but July 22 we will be open from 10 am to 2 pm,” says Prakash Gangaram.
The scene is not any different in Sapna Book House. Ranganath, the manager says, “The booking is still on. The actual price of the book is Rs 975, but we are giving a discount on pre-booked copies and those who have booked will have to pay Rs 750. We have received orders for nearly thousand copies.”
Linferd, the manager of Landmark says, “We have received nearly 850 orders till now and the process is still in progress.The bookstore will open at 5.30 am on July 21. We expect to sell more than 1,500 copies on the first day itself.”
“Harry Potter’s editions are always the biggest event in the world of publication. We are also quite excited about this. There is a 30 per cent increase in the demand when compared to previous years, probably because this will be the last book. We are offering discount for ‘Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows’. We have also arranged programmes like magic shows and giving a some amount of discount on Harry Potter’s previous editions also,” says Rajiv Chowdary, CEO, Apeejay Oxford Bookstores.
And Potter fans have started their countdown. “I love reading books, especially Harry Potters. I hope this version will be as thrilling as expected. It is really sad that there won’t be another Potter book, but I’m happy because after a long time I am going to catch Potter’s missing elements. I booked my copy in March itself,” says Rukmini, a BA student and Potter fan.
Melvin, a Class X student says, “I don’t know how the book will end, though I have heard that Harry may die. I can’t believe it, but I only have to wait a couple of days more to know the truth.”
“I am a huge Potter fan and I’m waiting to read what happens in the end. Like most Potter fans, I too don’t want him to die. But if it is necessary for the story, then we have to accept it,” says George, who works at a call centre.
Aditi an engineering student says, “I have booked my copy just like I did for the others before. I have also seen the movies. I am really eager to know more about Harry Potter’s last book. I hope Voldemort dies.”
The previous titles in the Potter series could be bought off stalls on the roadside too. But this time, if you’re waiting for that pirated copy, you’ll have to wait longer, for, publishers and distributers are making all efforts to prevent piracy. ‘Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows’ gets a simultaneous release worldwide.
