J.K. Rowling book sells for $4M: dumb?

British writer J.K. Rowling continues to work magic, with a handwritten book of her fairy tales selling for more than $4 million Cdn in London Thursday.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a book of fairy tales mentioned in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was expected to sell for about $100,000 Cdn.

However, bidding at Sotheby's auction house in London soared to £1.95 million ($4.04 million Cdn) with London art agent Hazlitt, Gooden and Fox the successful bidder on behalf of online book giant Amazon.com.
 
Amazon revealed later on Thursday that it had crossed over from the sales side to become buyer for the rare tome, with a spokesman saying the company is planning to take The Tales of Beedle the Bard on tour through libraries and schools.

The money raised will benefit Rowling's charity The Children's Voice, which helps children in care in Eastern Europe and has plans to extend its reach to other parts of the world.

Rowling created seven copies of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, wrote and illustrated it herself by hand and had it bound in leather studded with silver and jewels.

 
Only one copy will ever be sold, she said. The others will be given to people closely connected to the Harry Potter novels, which have sold 400 million copies worldwide.

The dedication written in the front of the book says: "Six of these books have been given to those most closely connected to the Harry Potter books during the last 17 years. This seventh copy will be auctioned, the proceeds to help institutionalized children who are in desperate need of a voice.

 
"So to whoever now owns this book, thank you — and fair fortune be yours!"