- guardian.co.uk,
- Monday October 16 2000 12.35 BST
Harry Potter author JK Rowling is to write two short books for charity. They won't, however, feature the adventures of her world-famous boy wizard, but the curriculum for his magic lessons.
The multimillionaire writer has promised to produce Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages in time for Comic Relief Day on March 16 2001.
The titles will be instantly recognisable to Harry Potter fans, as they already feature in the Potter books as textbooks at the school for wizards, Hogwarts, where Harry's adventures take place.
Rowling, who is currently on a book tour in the United States, said: "I have always had a secret hankering to write these two books, so when Richard Curtis [of Comic Relief] wrote to me, I thought it was a wonderful opportunity to be involved with a charity I have always supported."
The Harry Potter books have been a national and international success, making Rowling the UK's top woman earner. She originally planned to write a Harry Potter book a year, one for each year Harry attends Hogwarts, but isn't keen to follow him into adulthood.
