Midnight crowds waited spellbound for books

Harry Potter mania reached its climax as stores across Ireland opened at midnight to cope with the huge demand for the final instalment of JK Rowling's fictional series.

A crowd of around 1,000 people - young and old - waited impatiently outside Easons on O'Connell street in Dublin to get their hands on the latest edition.

More than 250,000 copies have been pre-ordered by Irish bookshops to cope with the demand.

Meanwhile, bookstores across the world also rang up the first official sales of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix at the stroke of midnight, bringing the boy wizard’s fifth magical adventure to a legion of adoring fans.

Fans have waited nearly three years for the latest Potter story, but have had two Potter movies to entertain them in the meantime.

JK Rowling, looking relaxed and happy, paid a visit to a Waterstone’s bookshop in her home town of Edinburgh and gave out signed copies of her freshly delivered book to a party of 40 primary school children.

“When Goblet of Fire was published I was desperate to go into a bookshop at midnight and see children’s reactions, so this time I’m really pleased I could,” she said. “Much of the pleasure of being published for me is meeting the children who are reading the books.”

The book was being launched in Australia, South Africa and New Zealand at the same time as in Ireland. And in Paris, WH Smith’s store on the Rue de Rivoli held a special late-night opening with a magician performing tricks and staff dressed as wizards. About 50 Potter fans, some in wizard costume, sat on the floor waiting to become the first in France to buy a copy of the new book.

In Brazil, where no Portuguese version is yet available, the Travessa bookstore in Rio de Janeiro sold all of its 45 English-language copies through advance orders.

“All copies in stock were sold out, even before the official start of sales,” said salesman Jose Roberto Mesquita, as dozens of children lined up outside.

In the Taiwan capital Taipei, Aaron Hua, 10, spent the night with his parents and Pekinese dog crouched on the floor of the 24-hour Eslite bookstore, waiting for the 7am launch – timed to coincide with the first London sales.

“It’s all the magic,” Hua said, explaining his fascination with the wildly popular series. About 50 people lined up to grab the book, in its English version. The Chinese translation should be out by Christmas, a store official said.

In Singapore, competition between booksellers was fierce.

“Harry Potter books this way!” yelled a member of staff from the Kinokuniya bookstore, who was dressed as a wizard, as he directed potential customers away from the nearby Borders store.

Rowling, speaking in Edinburgh, said she was pleased that so little about the story had escaped the pre-publication secrecy.

“I don’t think anything crucial has got out, so I am happy. I think it’s miraculous, given the number of books that we produced and the number of people involved,” she said.