JKR is launching a new website in October. I’ve been reading fan speculation for the past week, but JKR formally announced the Pottermore site on YouTube this morning. The video is alas, too wide for the page, but the link above will take you there. As someone commented, the animation is a bit reminiscent of the animation in the “Three Brothers” sequence of the first Deathly Hallows movie. :)
Anyway, after the announcement came the press conference, with added Pottermore detail.
According to the Leaky Cauldron Twitterstream:
The launch of #pottermore will have more than 18,000 words from J.K. Rowling, but that is only a third of what she has written so far.
J.K. Rowling said this morning that there is a lot more content to come for the #pottermore site, and she will develop it as it grows
#pottermore: you will follow the story, get sorted into a house and get a wand (one of 33,000 possibles) – all crafted by JKR.
JKR is excited to include a long backstory on McGonagall – her childhood, ministry career, early heartbreak…
Also shown this morning, there will be info on Minerva McGonagall’s long friendship with Dumbledore #pottermore
JKR said if you’re not sorted into #gryffindor you get even more exclusive content about your house. #pottermore
A physical encyclopedia may come one day, JKR said, but she is not positive. #pottermore
AlexCarpenter comments:
It would appear that #pottermore is part the Scottish Book [the long-hoped-for Potter encyclopedia], part storefront for digital books and part social network. But all Owlery.
I would add… part immersive game. Members get sorted into a house, get a wand, and who knows what else?
Here is a complete write up on Wired.
Anyway, new information may come all day. So let’s take a look at some pictures from Pottermore. The pics are most likely proprietary (and are way too large to embed on the page… believe me, I’ve tried!), so I’m providing just the links. But the pics are fairly breathtaking, so enjoy!
Expecto Patronum! 