All seven of J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" books will be given fresh illustrations for 2015, Rowling having selected artist Jim Kay for the job, Bloomsbury announced today, as the Guardian reports.
Kay has a degree in illustration and won the Kate Greenaway Medal in 2012 for his work for "A Monster Calls" by Patrick Ness. He has been working as an illustrator for over six years, and claims he is a big "Harry Potter" fan, having first been introduced to the series through audio books recorded by Stephen Fry.
"To design the characters, the clothing, the architecture and landscapes to possibly the most expansive fantasy world in children's literature, well let's just say I'm extremely excited about it," he told the Guardian. "However, I am also mindful of the huge responsibility this represents. I want to make sure I do the best job I possibly can."
To mark the big announcement, two illustrations, including one of young Harry himself with broken glasses, and one of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, were released as teasers.
"Bloomsbury has long wished to illustrate the titles but with such a huge project it had to be done at the correct time and with the correct illustrator. We selected a range of artists, discussed them with J.K. Rowling, and all decided Jim would be fantastic," the head of publicity for Bloomsbury said in a statement.
As for picking a favorite character in the expansive fantasy series, Kay admitted choosing just one would be "like trying to choose the shiniest object in Aladdin's Cave; you pick up one treasure, and another gem catches your eye."
"The story is everything," he explained, "and so I want to bring what I can to really show the depth of Rowling's stories, to their best." A Potter fan himself, Kay came to the books through Stephen Fry's reading of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Rowling's creation of an entire world is a bit like magic, he continued. "It's like a spell that jumps from person to person, recasting itself as it goes. I want to keep that spell going, perhaps adding my own little twist, if possible. I hope over the years we will see lots of different illustrators having a go, in the way that Alice in Wonderland has inspired artists for over a century."
Bloomsbury first announced their plans to re-release the series with new illustrations back in 2012. The first newly illustrated edition of "Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone" (also known as "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," which was first published back in 1997) is slated for a 2015 release.
Click here to see a teaser of Jim Kay's illustrations for the "Harry Potter" series.
