Story by: Milo Hewitt
Photos by: Anika Kokatay
SnitchSeeker recently visited the British Library, which is currently exhibiting Harry Potter: A History of Magic, featuring real world magical objects and manuscripts juxtaposed with original drafts by J.K. Rowling and drawings from Harry Potter illustrator Jim Kay.
While at the exhibit, we had an opportunity to speak with Tanya Kirk, the library's lead curator in charge of rare books, who told us a bit about J.K. Rowling's involvement with the displays.
Quote:
SnitchSeeker: First off, are you a Harry Potter fan?
Tanya Kirk: I am a massive Harry Potter fan. It was exciting opportunity to make those links between books that I use in my day job and the Harry Potter universe.
SnitchSeeker: How did you choose what books to use in the exhibit?
Tanya Kirk: We mainly wanted to make links between the stories and history. But we also wanted to show some of the greatest items in our collection. For example, the Chinese oracle bones that we’re showing in Divination.
SnitchSeeker: It makes the magic a little bit more real.
Tanya Kirk: Yes!
SnitchSeeker: J.K. Rowling came recently, didn’t she?
Tanya Kirk: She did! It was great! She liked it!
Quote:
SnitchSeeker: Did anything catch her eye?
Tanya Kirk: She was amazed by the Nicholas Flamel tombstone, which she tweeted about. She initially thought it was maybe not the real one, but it is. She was very excited.
SnitchSeeker: Did J.K. Rowling have any involvement in what to include?
Tanya Kirk: She selected all of her own items to go into the exhibition. So, she was looking through our exhibit list and picked things that would go with what we’d selected.
Harry Potter: A History of Magic will run through February 28, 2018. Tickets can be booked
here at the library’s website.
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Harry Potter: A History of Magic exhibit team discusses J.K. Rowling's involvement 
