J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels have been re-released again and again with ever more beautiful designs, from leather-bound copies with horcruxes, to multiple Hogwarts House-themed versions, to illustrated editions. And now Scholastic has announced another new set of the books to celebrate their 20th anniversary in America (yes, yes, the first Harry Potter novel was released in 1997, but the novel wasn’t released in America by Scholastic until 1998, with the name changed from The Philosopher’s Stone to The Sorcerer’s Stone), with a series featuring covers adorned with black-and-white drawings featuring major characters and moments from Harry’s entire experience at Hogwarts. But what makes these covers really magical is that when they are combined they make one gorgeous image.
These intricate new covers, complete with jewel-toned typography, are the work of artist Brian Selznick, who describes himself as a huge Harry Potter fan and a proud Hufflepuff. He told Pottermore, “One of the most challenging and rewarding aspects of the process was drawing seven independent covers that would stand on their own, while making sure that they also lined up to create one single satisfying image.” It’s a process he said took “dozens and dozens of sketches to get it right.” Not only do the covers look great, they also offer a great Easter egg hunt for fans to find their favorite references. In fact, we’re hoping we might eventually be able to buy the collected image as a standalone poster.
After seeing the #harrypotter 20th Anniversary book covers announced, I joined them up in Photoshop and it's beautiful! @jk_rowling pic.twitter.com/D6o1Jwb8y1
— AJ (@cupofdragons) April 10, 2018
Which one of these covers is your favorite? Cast your thoughts in our comments section below.
Featured Image: Scholastic/Brian Selznick
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