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Bookshop to give Harry Potter 'eighth story' profits to schools
The Big Green Bookshop is to donate all profits from the sales of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Little, Brown) to local schools to enable them to buy books for their libraries.
Co-owner Simon Key told The Bookseller that the initiative is inkeeping with the “whole point of Harry Potter” which has inspired a new generation of readers.
“It's really important to give kids the chance to read a selection of books and for people to support our local schools", Key said. "It’s also a chance for us to say 'thank you' to the schools who have supported us. We constantly put on events with schools and we have very good relationships with them."
The move ties in with the bookshop's school rewards scheme which sees 10% of book sales go to nominated schools.
Key said: “It’s important because schools are struggling with their budgets being slashed – it’s important they’re still able to add books to their libraries. Haringey is the second poorest borough in London and the schools often struggle to buy books. They rely on parents and the community. We want to give something back to the community that has been supporting us for the last eight years."
The Big Green Bookshop will be hosting a “spectacular” midnight opening to celebrate the release of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child which will start at 10pm on Saturday 30th July.
"I’d rather people cancelled their pre-orders from the big supermarkets and get involved in our fun event. We’re going to have a massive party," Key added.
The eighth Harry Potter story is a playscript of the new Harry Potter stage play by by J K Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, set to be released on 12.01am on 31st July, the day after the play has debuted on the stage.
The Bookseller has recently reported that booksellers have been lobbying publisher Little, Brown to change the date of the release of the eighth Harry Potter story so that chain stores can sell the book without breaking Sunday trading laws.
The Big Green Bookshop is set to receive £5,731 in the coming days - money which was raised by community donations after £600 was stolen from its till last month. The Bookseller understands that 10% of this money will also go towards the school rewards scheme.
