India crowds stores for Potter finale

MUMBAI: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the valedictory installment in the seven-part series by JK Rowling, is attracting an anxious press of fans at bookstores across India though the release, scheduled for July 21, is still four months away.

Bookstores in the city and elsewhere in the country are gearing up for the frenzy that accompanies the release of a new Potter book.

“We started taking orders four-and-a-half months before the official release,” said Aniyan Nair, head of operations and marketing, Crossword Bookstores.

The pre-release bookings in various cities suggest that the last Potter book will break all previous records. The average pre-release order across Mumbai bookstores is 300 copies each, and it is expected to touch 4,000 in the coming months.

Trade pundits said advance orders are at least 10 times higher than the total sale of bestsellers in the desi-fiction category. And with more adults getting hooked to Rowling’s magical world, Potter has moved beyond the realm of children’s fantasy.  

“Previously, we sold only to children; now about 45 per cent of Potter buyers are adults,” said TN Shanbhag, owner of the Strand Book Stall.

In Delhi, bookstores are vying with one another to seduce Potter fans with a variety of inducements, including discounts of up to 20 per cent. “We opened bookings in March and have already received orders for more than 350 books,” said Rajeev Chowdhury, CEO, Oxford Bookstores. “We will probably order in excess of 20,000 books as it is the last Harry Potter offering. If people book now, they will get a flat 15 per cent discount.”

Corner Bookstore has upped the ante with an additional 5 per cent cut. “Although we have offered a 20 per cent discount, we think bookings will pick up in April,” said Corner’s Gautam Ramchandani.

But smaller Delhi bookstores seem unimpressed with the hype. Owners of stores such Bahri Sons and Fact and Fiction said few people have queued up to reserve copies, the trumpeting notwithstanding.

“Really, no one who wanted the book has ever failed to get one,” said Ajit Vikram Singh of Fact and Fiction. “So, unlike big publishing houses that make a huge amount of money on advance orders, we are satisfied to sit and wait.”

Meanwhile, Om Book Store has decided to club Potter with enduring, if aged, heroes. “We have decided to offer a package deal. Those who buy Harry Potter will get DC comics free,” said Amit Vig, the store’s retail head. “We will also advertise intensely advance orders. But that will start sometime in April.”

Potter stock in Kolkata seems to have grown since the previous instalment, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Orders being received across the city’s stores have outstripped the number registered by the Half-Blood Prince. At Emami Starmark, for instance, the number of pre-release orders currently stands at 90. The bookings, which began with the Kolkata Book Fair, are being taken in Starmark’s two stores. “We expect the orders to cross 1,000 by the time the book is launched,” said Gautam Jaita, CEO of Emami Starmark. Jatia said 90 was a good number considering the book’s price point.

The pattern is the same at Crossword Bookstore, with advance orders for Deathly Hallows overhauling its processor’s record. The booking opened at the store 10 days ago, said Siddharth Pansari of Crossword.

Bangalore readers, meanwhile, want to know where the rebate queue is.

“Readers in the city are excited about the final book. We receive at least 25 calls every day enquiring about discounts,” said Prakash Gangaram of Gangaram’s Bookstore. The store has ordered a batch of 1,000 copies. “We have had 25 advance bookings. We are expecting more,” he said.

Bangalore’s Crossword is already advertising its offers meant for members. It is also offering discounts on other Harry Potter volumes and DVDs. Crossword is expecting at least 1,000 advance orders in the next two months. “We receive at least 25 calls every day asking for this final book,” said Zaheer, Crossword’s manager.

Enquiries are trickling into Chennai bookshops, but most will accept advance bookings and announce offers only next month.

Ahmedabad, however, has had a head start. The city’s Crossword has been receiving 50 to 60 calls per diem from all age groups. Over 100 copies have already been booked. “This being the last Harry Potter book, the demand is substantially higher than before,” said Yograj Jadeja, a customer care executive with the store.

With Ginnie Mahajan in New Delhi, Madhumita Mookerji in Kolkata, Bhargavi Kerur in Bangalore and Jumana Shah in Ahmedabad