Bloomsbury to release illustrated Harry Potter gift book

Bloomsbury is to release a gift book featuring Harry Potter illustrations by Jim Kay, accompanied by quotes from the series.

A Magical Year: The Illustrations of Jim Kay features colour artwork produced by Kay for the series so far, as well as unseen-till-now pencil sketches and prepatory pieces. Images include frozen icicles glinting on the snowy towers of Hogwarts, the dancing eyes of Professor Albus Dumbledore, and the infectious hustle and bustle of Diagon Alley, Bloomsbury said.

A Harry Potter "memory" or anniversary is ascribed to each day in the year, and the book contains 366 short quotations — one for every day of the year, including the leap year. Each of the seven stories are represented in the book, from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone through to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

The book will be released on 5th October, backed by a "major" retail and communications campaign.

Kay won the Kate Greenaway Medal in 2012 for his illustrations in A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. He studied illustration at the University of Westminster, and worked in the Library & Archives of Tate Britain and then as an assistant curator of botanical illustrations at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew before returning to producing art full-time. After a one-man exhibition at Richmond Gallery he was approached by a publisher and his freelance career began.

Alongside his illustration work, Kay has produced concept work for film and television, and contributed to the group exhibition Memory Palace at the V&A Museum in London. The illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was published to international acclaim. Bloomsbury has commissioned him to illustrate all seven books in J K Rowling’s series.