Still Potty about Harry

Bookstores and publishers, who did roaring business, have evidently moved on, reconciled to the fact that a phenomenon like Potter happens once in a blue moon. Bookstores and publishers, who did roaring business, have evidently moved on, reconciled to the fact that a phenomenon like Potter happens once in a blue moon. Bookstores and publishers, who did roaring business, have evidently moved on, reconciled to the fact that a phenomenon like Potter happens once in a blue moon. On July 21 last year, Rajiv Chowdhry was startled by the length of the queue outside Kolkata's Oxford bookstore. An eclectic bunch���kids, adults, Indians, foreigners���all were standing patiently in line along the length of Park Road to grab Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, the last book in J K Rowling's path-breaking series. The Oxford CEO recalls selling close to 8,500 copies in a matter of hours. "The phenomenon was unparalleled," he reminisces with a whiff of nostalgia. "No author has touched such magical numbers before."
A year later, much of the buzz seems to have died down. Bookstores and publishers, who did roaring business, have evidently moved on, reconciled to the fact that a phenomenon like Potter happens once in a blue moon. The current crop of takers, Chowdhry says, are "latecomers and second-hand readers". Still, Oxford plans to have a small gathering and decorate its bookstores on the occasion. "We will give discounts, have theme-based contests and events and hold week-long celebrations. Sales may have been subdued but the series still evokes a reaction from kids," he says.
The Landmark book chain, on the other hand, has no plans for the 'death' anniversary. "There is no euphoria left," says Himanshu Chakarwarty, COO of Landmark. "We've moved on to authors like Amitav Ghosh and Jeffrey Archer, who are doing well for us."
Chowdhry rues the fact that the paperback editions of all the Potter books have yet to arrive in India. "The Deathly Hallows hard cover costs Rs 995. The paperback, for instance, is priced around Rs 400. Its arrival would have helped sales," he points out.
Manoj Kulkarni of Manjul Publications, which recently finished translating the whole series into Hindi, avers that though the series may be over, the sales will keep on. "Children identify with Harry and relate to him," he says. "The media hype created by Rowling's publishers and the intense security the books underwent before being put up on sale did add to the appeal. But the book sold entirely on its own merit." Kulkarni is happy to have introduced a whole new legion of readers, through the Hindi translation, to the adventures of The Boy Who Lived.
According to Sudhir Dixit, who translated the books into Hindi, the rumours of Rowling writing an encyclopaedia on Harry Potter or a detective story are master spins that are keeping interest in the series alive. He confesses that he misses translating the series which virtually made him the largest-selling 'author' in the country. "Some words were difficult to translate because there were no references in the dictionary," he says. "For instance, I had to change Hallows to tohfe (gifts). But I loved cracking such difficulties during the translation."
Dixit now wants Rowling to grow up. "I wish she'd write adult novels now," he says, blissfully unaware that a couple of adult books Rowling was working on before creating Harry Potter never saw the light of day because she decided they were pretty mediocre. "Rowling's biggest contribution was that she taught people how to read all over again," he concludes, a trifle emotionally.
Like the stray bookstore, Potter fans too have their plans to commemorate the anniversary. Twenty-five-year old Priya Ramakrishnan, who swears by her knowledge of Harry Potter, is wistful. "It's impossible for any Potter fan to move on," she says. I still surf the net to look up references and hidden meanings in some passages. I've started the whole series again ever since I realised the anniversary was close."
Priya is glad there are some loose ends Rowling did not tie up; she is also kicked about how the author sprang surprises like the homosexuality of Hogwarts' headmaster Albus Dumbledore after the end of the series. "Such tidbits keep me engrossed in Potter," she avers.
"As for the series, it will continue to be read by generations like Tolkein's Lord Of The Rings." Incidentally, Priya has made it clear to her mother that her first condition for marriage is that the prospective groom has to be a Harry Potter fan.
Software engineer Sandeep Salian recently discovered Sean Smith's biography of Rowling and plans to read it on Monday as a tribute to her for creating the Potter series. "I don't know what else to do. I've already read all the books more than six times."
Another Potter fan, Sagar Sawarkar, has decided to watch all the five Harry Potter movies back to back with his friends on Monday. "It'll be like a reunion. Like old times, we'll forget we have grown up and have responsibilities. We'll be like schoolchildren, taking flight with the wings of Rowling's imagination," he says. Rowling would be proud.
priyanko.sarkar@timesgroup.com