Scholastic has issued a press release this morning, detailing the first official international sales figures for The Tales of Beedle the Bard, which has sold 2.6 million copies and grossed roughly $8.5 million in its first full week for the The Childiren's High Level Group.
J.K. Rowling has expressed her thanks today to all those who have bought a copy of her charity book, making it the fastest selling title of 2008 and raising millions of pounds for children suffering in institutions.
"I am absolutely delighted that so much money has been raised," she said, "and would like to thank everyone who has so far purchased a copy of the book. All royalties will be going to help children without families, many of them with disabilities, whose voices have been unheard for many years."
Read the rest of the press release below.
The first official international sales figures for Beedle, out today, show the book is set to become a holiday bestseller. More than 2.6 million copies have been sold worldwide generating £4.2 million (approximately $6.5 million) for the Children’s High Level Group (CHLG), the charity co-founded by JK Rowling to help vulnerable children in Central and Eastern Europe.
Richard Alderslade, Chief Executive of CHLG, said: “We had no idea what to expect in terms of sales figures so we are thrilled by such impressive sales in the first week alone. Whatever the final total, and we do hope that Beedle stays on top of the bestsellers list for Christmas, the project will certainly raise a huge amount to fund our work, giving hundreds of thousands of vulnerable children across Central and Eastern Europe a better life. Each time someone opens a copy of Beedle this Christmas or gives it as a gift, they will be making a difference to the life of a vulnerable child living not so very many miles away.”
“Once again, we’d like to extend our thanks to JK Rowling for her ongoing support and for the wonderful gift of Beedle; not only the beautiful handcrafted copy we auctioned last year, but for allowing us to publish the tales so that people everywhere can enjoy them.”
Currently the top-selling book of the year in the USA Today and the Daily Telegraph charts and number one on Amazon, BarnesandNoble.com and Waterstones.com, The Tales of Beedle the Bard is published by CHLG in collaboration with Bloomsbury, Scholastic and Amazon.
The book has also been gathering rave reviews on both sides of the Atlantic:
"I can think of only three authors who are genuine creators of new fairytales: Joan Aiken, Tolkien and E. Nesbit. Rowling is the fourth, blending the comic with the gorgeously grotesque and adding her own delicate line drawings. … All of these tales – funny, sinister and wise and captivating – could have come new-minted from the Brothers Grimm. The pared-down language is tinged with antiquity but never patronises. Her gift for finding the perfect name and the unexpected twist is undimmed. Like Charles Dickens, Rowling has given us a perfect Christmas treat – ideal to slip in any stocking." – Amanda Craig, The Times (4 December 2008)
"No, not a new book about the young wizard — THAT would be like a birthday combined with Christmas! Instead, she's written a charming confection of a book from the world of Harry Potter with the sparkle and wit that remind us why she became a publishing sensation in the first place." – AP (4 December 2008)
"Dump the Xanax and grab J.K. Rowling's ‘Tales of Beedle the Bard’. This charming little book is the best anti-anxiety medication on the market. Under the Bard's spell, readers will forget at least briefly the tsunami of bad news and find themselves happy and entertained. – USA Today (5 December 2008)
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