With September 1 approaching, the date of the annual Back to Hogwarts celebration honoring all things Harry Potter, the franchise’s publishers are launching a major act of generosity. Their goal is to introduce a new generation to the joy of reading by giving away more than 200,000 copies of J.K. Rowling‘s novels around the globe.

Publishers Team Up Across the World

Scholastic, Bloomsbury and Pottermore, joined by international publishing partners in France, Germany, Brazil, the Netherlands, Norway, Bulgaria, Finland, China and Japan, are working together to hand out books to schools, libraries and hospitals in the United States, the United Kingdom and several other countries.

In the U.S., Scholastic plans to distribute 100,000 copies of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone to underserved communities. The publisher is going a step further by also providing the audiobook edition to 100,000 teachers enrolled in its Book Clubs program, in partnership with Audible and Pottermore.

In the U.K., Bloomsbury will hand out copies of the novel through several charitable organizations, including the National Literacy Trust, Give a Book and Read for Good. Once again, Pottermore and Audible are rounding out the effort by supplying matching audiobook editions.

Good News for Library Patrons Too

There’s also good news for digital borrowers: Pottermore has announced it is temporarily lifting the waitlists for digital editions (both eBooks and audiobooks) of the entire Harry Potter series, throughout the month of September. That means library card holders will be able to access the books instantly, without the usual wait.

On top of that, fans can look forward to another treat: the original audiobook recordings of the first novel, narrated by Stephen Fry (U.K. edition) and Jim Dale (U.S. edition), will be made available for free on the official Harry Potter YouTube channel, as well as on Audible, Amazon Music and Spotify. Notably, this marks the first time the Jim Dale narration will be accessible outside North America via YouTube.

A Back to Hogwarts Boosted by the HBO Series

This charitable push comes at a particularly meaningful moment for the franchise, arriving just ahead of the launch of HBO’s new television adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, which premieres on HBO Max on December 25. As a result, this year’s Back to Hogwarts celebration is expected to draw even more attention from fans than usual.

To mark the occasion, a one-day immersive fan experience will take place in London, featuring photo opportunities, exclusive giveaways, gaming activities and other experiences tied to the wizarding world. Attendees will reportedly receive a copy of the novel courtesy of Bloomsbury, along with its audiobook edition.

Neil Blair, founding partner of The Blair Partnership (the agency representing J.K. Rowling) noted that Back to Hogwarts has always been rooted in sharing the joy of Rowling’s stories with children and families. He added that this year’s edition is opening the celebration up even further, inviting readers everywhere to rediscover the magic of Hogwarts, from major city centers to local classrooms, with a few more surprises still to be revealed on September 1.

Source: Variety