Posted on Friday 7 December 2007
The only copy available to the public of JK Rowling’s handwritten and illustrated The Tales of Beedle the Bard will go on sale on the 13th of December at Sotheby’s London, New Bond Street, in their English Literature, History & Children’s Books Sale.
But before this magical book vanishes from the public domain next week, Sotheby’s is giving true Harry Potter fans a once-in-a-lifetime chance to view the unique manuscript on display at their London premises from Sunday, December 9 – Wednesday, December 12. All fans will be given a Beedle the Bard badge on arrival before saying goodbye to their wizarding hero.
The Sale will also feature highly important books, manuscripts and letters of Irish interest. One highlight is the Lily Yeats Collection, which contains the Dun Emer and Cuala Press collection of Susan Mary (Lily) Yeats (1806-1949), the elder of the Yeats sisters and daughter of John Butler Yeats, Other highly important presentation copies by W.B. Yeats, inscribed to friends, family and lovers will also be on sale.
And of course a sale of Irish interest would not be complete without James Joyce. Joyce gems going up for grabs include a rare photographic portrait of Joyce by Bernice Abbot, a series of autograph quotations from Shakespeare’s Othello, a short exchange with Ezra Pound about Irish tenor John Sullivan and first editions of Ulysses.
The auction also includes presentation copies by Samuel Beckett, Oscar Wilde and other authors. 
