Merlin’s beard! Do we have some very fun news for you!
J.K. Rowling has announced a very special “treat” for fans of the Harry Potter franchise via the official Wizarding World twitter account.
“Surprise!” the tweet read, before adding that, “amazing friends of the Wizarding World are going to take turns reading Harry Potter book one.”
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone will be read by a huge lineup of celebrities including “the boy who lived” himself, Daniel Radcliffe, in a series of free videos and audio recordings.
Other stars including David Beckham, Stephen Fry, Dakota Fanning, Claudia Kim, Noma Dumezweni and Eddie Redmayne and more, will also read the novel chapter-by-chapter which will be available on the Wizarding World website and on Spotify.
“And to start us off with Chapter 1, we think you’ll agree we have the perfect narrator…” the Tweet continued — with Radcliffe reading the very first chapter.
Surprise! We've got a treat for you…From today, amazing friends of the Wizarding World are going to take turns reading Harry Potter book one.
And to start us off with Chapter 1, we think you’ll agree we have the perfect narrator…⚡️ #HarryPotterAtHome
https://t.co/w9K77akbou pic.twitter.com/Q03PmjeD5d— Wizarding World (@wizardingworld) May 5, 2020
Back in April, Rowling launched a digital hub, Harry Potter at Home, while the world practised social distancing during the global coronavirus pandemic.
The website has contributions from publishing houses Bloomsbury and Scholastic, with Rowling and her team “casting a Banishing Charm on boredom!”.
The website features craft videos, quizzes, puzzles, fun articles and more, the website is a mystical place for Potter lovers old and new — with the most charming thing of all (see what I did there?) — it’s free!
In addition to this wonderful news, and as part of the Harry Potter At Home initiative to help children, parents, caretakers and teachers confined at home, Audible also made the original audiobook of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone free for anyone to access on Audible Stories.
The audiobook is performed by popular voice actor, Stephen Fry (Gosford Park) and anyone can access it with no login or membership required.
Audible also announced that members could listen, for free, to the newly released J.K. Rowling’s The Tales of Beedle Bard, narrated by many stars of the wizarding world including Jude Law (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald) and Noma Dumezweni, who portrayed Hermione Granger in the original West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
How simply magical!