Join us as we look back on another magical year at Pottermore Publishing
Gallopin’ Gargoyles! From the return of live events to new language releases, 2021 was quite the year for Pottermore Publishing. Join us as we reflect on a few incredible moments from the last twelve months.
20 languages in audio
The start of the year saw the continued publication of the Harry Potter series in Brazilian Portuguese, narrated by Ícaro Silva. Then, in December, we released 해리 포터와 마법사의 돌: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in collaboration with Storytel. Narrated by Cho Kyoung-a, the Korean edition marks the 20th language that Harry Potter audiobooks are available in.
5.5 million days learning English with Harry Potter
July saw the launch of the ‘Harry Potter Mint Reading Camp’ in China with Mint Reading. This programme features text and excerpts from the original Harry Potter stories and audiobooks. There have been more than 15,000 sign-ups for the year-long programme amounting to more than 5.5 million days of students learning English with Harry Potter! Find out more about the programme here.
38,000 users
Using original audio excerpts from the Harry Potter audiobooks our new Alarms Pack joins our existing Skills to bring the stories to a wider audience in a different format. It features quotes from characters including our favourite house-elf, Dobby, to help make mornings a little more magical for users in the US. We also launched the UK version of the Wizarding World Book Quiz Skill in July. With 38,000 unique users having tested their knowledge already, it’s perfect for the whole family to enjoy together.
28 territories
It was great to see so many of our partners involved with tentpole moments across the year. From Magical Mischief to Christmas in the Wizarding World™, tentpoles were celebrated across 28 territories on a number of digital platforms as well as in out-of-home advertising. As part of their Christmas in the Wizarding World celebrations, Nextory partnered with Primetime to host a Harry Potter audiobook themed quiz in Sweden, Finland and Denmark, filled with thought-provoking questions and festive imagery.
Starting Harry Potter, our newest tentpole, encourages young readers to dive into the Wizarding World™ for the first time. To give even more listeners the chance to discover the stories, we held a global listening event with Audible on Alexa. The first book was available to stream for free in six languages, for families all around the world to enjoy.
3 live events
2021 saw a return to live events for some of our partners. Audible Italy had a busy autumn attending both Turin Book Fair and Lucca Comics, where the hosts of ‘The Philosophy of Harry Potter’ series gave a presentation. Over in Korea, Storytel held a press event in November to help celebrate the launch of 해리 포터와 마법사의 돌: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in audio.
2 Actions
Following the success of our first Action on Google, we teamed up again with Skilled Creative to work on a new one, this time focusing on the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them textbook. Budding Magizoologists can explore an interactive map and get to grips with the incredible, magical creatures from the wizarding world with clips from the audiobook. The Action is now available to experience on Google.
840,000 views (and counting)
In September we worked with Audible on a set of YouTube videos centred around the Harry Potter audiobooks. The first tested the Wizarding World knowledge of nine influencers, ranging from superfans to those who are yet to discover the wizarding world! We then invited the four newcomers to listen to iconic moments from the Harry Potter stories for the very first time – and they had some amazing reactions! You can watch both videos on Audible’s YouTube channel.
2022 is looking to be another incredible year with all of our team working on lots of exciting projects. We can’t wait to share more with you soon!
