A highly sought-after Harry Potter book is poised to attract a significant amount of money at auction, as it amazingly survived a destructive fire. Carina Haouchine, a Scottish documentary film-maker, acquired one of just 15 prize editions of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone when she was a 15-year-old schoolgirl in 2012. This edition was published to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Harry Potter phenomenon and is believed to be one of the rarest versions of the Philosopher’s Stone in existence. The book, which is signed and dedicated by author JK Rowling, was never made available for sale. However, the book faced a close call when a fire broke out at Carina’s Glasgow flat earlier this year. Fortunately, the book survived unscathed and is now being sold at auction with an estimated value of £8,000-£12,000.
The auction will take place on 5 September at Hansons Auctioneers, Bishton Hall, Stafford, where Carina’s pristine copy will go under the hammer. Reflecting on the incident, Carina said, “The book was kept hidden away in my childhood bedroom and then in the storage cupboard of my tenement flat in Glasgow. The tenement actually experienced a tragic fire at the beginning of the year. Thankfully nobody was injured but it is now uninhabitable. I’m very grateful the book survived!” Winning the book was the result of a competition organized by publisher Bloomsbury in 2012, which aimed to find the UK’s biggest Harry Potter fan. Participants were asked to write a letter explaining their love for Harry Potter, with the opportunity to showcase their creativity. Carina invested time and effort into her entry, which featured a watercolor portrait of the main characters and a hand-carved wand. She expressed, “I’ve grown up with Harry Potter. It was the first thing I was ever passionate about, and I always will be!”
Although Carina was thrilled to be one of the winners, she admits to feeling a slight disappointment at not winning the first prize of a family trip to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. However, she has decided to part with the book as she recently got engaged and plans to use the funds from the sale to contribute towards her wedding and future. Jim Spencer, head of Hansons’ Library Auction, emphasized the rarity and significance of the book, stating, “This is technically the rarest edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Only 15 copies were produced and they were never offered for sale. It’s not recorded in the invaluable J K Rowling bibliography by Philip W Errington, which proves how scarce it is.” He further added that the auction presents a unique opportunity for Potterheads to acquire a signed book with absolute confidence in its authenticity. With the original competition entry and the carefully carved wand accompanying the book, Spencer predicts that this remarkable find will one day be exhibited in a museum. The book itself is in impeccable condition, complete with its original padded envelope from Bloomsbury.
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