Bloomsbury announced that they will release a new illustrated edition of J.K. Rowling's
The Tales of Beedle the Bard, with art to be created by Chris Riddell. The new edition, whose proceeds go to Lumos and Children's Relief, will be available on October 2, 2018.
Bloomsbury Children’s Books today announce Chris Riddell as the artist who will create stunning images for an illustrated edition of J.K. Rowling’s The Tales of Beedle the Bard sold in aid of the author’s international children’s charity Lumos.
Publishing on 2nd October 2018, this classic from the Wizarding World will be gloriously reimagined in a large colour gift edition by the multi-award-winning Riddell. He will mix his signature, beautiful watercolour with line and tonal illustrations, capturing the spirit of J.K. Rowling’s ingenious text with his trademark wit and elegance.
Chris Riddell is a bestselling author/illustrator and former Waterstones Children’s Laureate. On being commissioned for this project Chris said, “To be invited into the world of Harry Potter is an immense honour and incredibly exciting. These fairy tales are vivid and beautifully crafted and will resonate in the sumptuous format Bloomsbury have given me. But the true joy has been to discover the richness and texture of Dumbledore's footnotes. I can't wait to pull on my robes and begin my tenure as a supply teacher at Hogwarts!”
Rebecca McNally, Children’s Publishing Director, said of Chris’s selection: “It takes extraordinary skill and imagination to illustrate J.K. Rowling’s highly inventive and original book, which has both wonderful, classic-feeling fairy tales and the inimitable, witty and subversive notes of Albus Dumbledore. There was only ever going to be one person for this job – it just had to be the once-in-a-lifetime talent of Chris Riddell.”
Chris Riddell is an award-winning illustrator and acclaimed political cartoonist. He is currently the only artist to have won the Kate Greenaway Medal three times, most recently for his illustrations in Neil Gaiman’s The Sleeper and the Spindle. Chris Riddell was Waterstones Children’s Laureate from 2015 to 2017 and has recently been announced as a Booktrust Ambassador. Chris has illustrated the work of many celebrated children’s authors, including five Neil Gaiman titles. He is the author of the bestselling Goth Girl and Ottoline series and co-creator of the much-loved The Edge Chronicles.
Riddell joins fellow Greenaway winner Jim Kay and fine artist Olivia Lomenech Gill in a world-class team of illustration talent chosen to create colour illustrated editions of J.K. Rowling’s work.
The Tales of Beedle the Bard was first published in 2008. An essential read for any Harry Potter fan, it contains five classic fairy tales, including ‘The Tale of the Three Brothers’, which plays a key role in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Translated from the original runes by Hermione Granger, the tales are introduced by J.K. Rowling. Also included are Professor Albus Dumbledore’s notes on each tale, which appear by kind permission of the Hogwarts Archives. The Tales of Beedle the Bard is published in aid of Lumos, J.K. Rowling’s international children’s charity, which works to improve the lives of disadvantaged children around the world.