Pre-orders only as Harry Potter hits the bookshops

AT EXACTLY one minute after midnight today, millions of excited book readers around the globe were finally able to buy the latest, eagerly anticipated, Harry Potter book.
Two years, 11 months and 13 days following the release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling has finally released Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the fifth book in the seven-book boy-wizard series.
But, unfortunately, local fans will not be able to join in the worldwide festivities, nor will they be able to purchase the long-awaited fictional novel, unless they’re among the few lucky ones to have pre-ordered a copy.
Due to the secrecy surrounding the book, which promises new information into the background of the Harry’s family as well as a prominent character’s death, publishers in the United Kingdom only sent it to print last week, causing delays in shipments abroad. Also the publishers could only print a limited number of books for foreign bookshops, particularly if they had not placed orders for the first print in time.
Today, only four bookshops in Cyprus will have very limited copies of the hardback 766-page book: they are the Moufflon Bookshops in Nicosia and Paphos, the Soloneion Book Centre in Nicosia and the British Bases YWCA in Akrotiri. However, they have all been pre-sold to anxious readers who had ordered them in advance.
Soloneion said it was disappointed that its customers would be let down. Although it had ordered 170 copies, only 30 are available today to fulfil orders.
“This book is going to sell very well, no doubt about it. People will just have to be patient and wait until next week for the second print. It would have been nice if we could have sold them today and I’m only sorry people will coming looking for it and be disappointed to find we don’t have it in stock.”
Although several bookstores across Europe and the United States hosted all-night parties, with copies starting to sell just after the stroke of midnight, bookshops around the island will not indulge in similar frenzied ‘Potter Parties’.
“Do we need to (have a special event) for Harry Potter?” asked the Soloneion. “I don’t think it’s necessary.” Nevertheless a countdown to midnight was scheduled in New York’s Times Square and festivities were planned for Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
Bookshops in Paralimni and Larnaca did not seem interested in the launch and none had bothered to acquire English copies of the book, preferring to wait for the Greek translation in November. Some did not even know who Harry Potter was and had to have the story explained to them before they said they hadn’t ordered it.
Meanwhile, Limassol bookshops were going to leave their customers in the lurch as well.
Kyriakou bookshop, the only one importing the book, said it had had problems its freight forwarders, preventing the book from arriving today.
“We ordered well over 100 copies, but unfortunately none have arrived, with 100 already pre-sold. It’ll definitely sell and I believe it will be the top seller of the year, just like Book 4 was,” said Kyriakos Kyriakou.
Although Paphos has a large English-speaking population, of the 16 bookshops listed in the phone book, only one, Moufflon, had confirmed it had ordered the book, which is being sold for £16.99. Because there were no extra books available, the bookshop had to pass on making today a special event, although a substantial shipment was due soon. “We’ve already sold our (50) copies as they’ve been pre-ordered and so have none for the general public…We were told more should be available by the end of the week, but anything can happen (such as shipment delays) so we’re not making a big splash over this…When they’re here, they’re here.”
The Nicosia Moufflon Bookshop also said it had pre-sold all its copies today as it had been advertising the launch for the past three months and orders had been placed well in advance.
But anxious readers need not fret, as Hellenic Distribution Agency said it would be distributing more books in Nicosia, Larnaca and Paphos on Monday or Tuesday. Outlets will include the Hellenic bookshop at the Hilton hotel, the Metropolitan bookshop, Moufflon, Soloneion, Kohlias, Woolworths, Cessac in Dhekelia, Larnaca Airport and Academic and General in Larnaca.
“We’ve flown the books in and so were able to distribute them to four bookshops for the launch (Moufflon in Paphos and Nicosia, Soloneion and YWCA), over and above their own orders. We should have more in next week,” said a book importing department employee. “The demand for this book is great and the suspense is increasing. They’re just selling like hot cakes.”
Joanne Kathleen Rowling is a publishing phenomenon, with the series selling over 100 million books translated into 42 different languages around the world; her books have been attributed with making children wanting to read.