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EmmaRiddle · #1 (**permalink**) 04-09-2008, 11:42 AM

Amazon, the owners of one of only seven copies of the Tales of Beedle the Bard, are running a contest whereby one lucky fan can win a weekend in London, England, with the book. The book will apparently be accompanied by security guards!

The competition, entitled the Beedle the Bard Ballad Writing Contest, is open to those aged 13 & over. To qualify, you have to write a submission of 100 words or less (in English), in response to ONE of these questions;

-- What songs do wizards use to celebrate birthdays?

-- What other sports do wizards play besides Quidditch?

-- What have you learned from the Harry Potter series that you use in everyday life?

Quote:

"Customers have been anxious to see, touch and read this rare, unique, and absolutely beautiful piece of literature," said Russell Grandinetti, vice president of books at Amazon. "We're thrilled to be able to offer our customers a chance to head to London, don a pair of white gloves and be one of only a handful of people in the world to have read these amazing tales. And of course, given the rarity of the book, security guards are included."

Entries will be accepted from April 9th through to April 22nd, in two age groups; 13 - 17 and 18+.

The contest is open to residents of 24 countries, including the U.K., U.S., Canada, Germany, Japan, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, India, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malaysia, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, and China.

10 semifinalists will be chosen by a committee and from May 5th people can vote online for their favourite for a week. The final 2 entries will go head-to-head in a vote to decide the winner, who will be announced in mid May (May 22nd). Each finalist will receive a $1,000 gift certificate.

To enter, go here (entrants under 18 must get a parent or guardian to complete the entry form).

Thanks to UHP for the tip!

UPDATE: In case you're wondering why your country isn't eligible, a representative from Amazon issued the following statement:

Quote:

We conducted research to determine our list of more than 20 countries, and focused on those countries where there are large English-speaking populations and where laws would permit the contest. Some countries are legally ineligible for these types of contests.

Thanks to Blog Hogwarts for e-mailing!

UPDATE #2: In response to the complaints about the age ranges, which exclude children, Amazon have said;

Quote:

They cite the US Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Amazon says this act 'severely limits the nature of online contests that Amazon is able to run, where children under the age of 13 are eligible to enter. In order to comply with the law and still hold a contest that would be easy to understand and simple to enter for our customers, we decided to set the lower age limit at 13.'