It was a double celebration for Latika Deo, an advocate, and her Delhi-based friend Richa as they revisited the same bookstore to be part of ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ (parts I and II) launch party on Sunday and raise a toast to friendship.
Earlier, they came to Pages bookstore at the launch of ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.’ “I completed reading the 600-plus-page of the seventh part in six hours. However, today I have different plans. I want to celebrate the launch with my friend and spend the rest of the day engrossed in the sequel,” she said after cutting the cake, waving the magic wand and casting the famous spell of the series ‘Alohomora’ used to lock and unlock the doors.
Apart from entertaining Potter fans with a theme-based launch party, Pages bookshop offers discount coupons where a buyer can get a gift voucher worth Rs.600 or opt for a special gift hamper of Rs.2,000 or get Reem Wisdom Pages LLP books worth Rs. 1,000.
Flurry of activity
A flurry of activity was witnessed at local bookstores that decked up for the launch of the eighth script of the series. At Gupta Brothers Books, Potter fans can avail 30 per cent discount on the MRP. “This is launched as part of the inaugural offer and it has evoked a tremendous response. We have also introduced an exclusive online platform for the Potter fans where they can place an order by logging on to: www.guptabrothers.com,” said V.J. Gupta, proprietor of Gupta Brothers Books, adding that the offer would continue for the next few days.
While some of the bookstore owners braced for pre-orders of the new edition of Harry Potter well in advance, a few have a different tale to tell. “The demand for the eighth part of the series is not as encouraging as the seventh sequel due to varied reasons. A majority of readers prefer placing an order online as they offer a substantial discount on the MRP. We cannot follow the same formula as our overhead costs are bit higher compared to online retailers. Besides, the new script, written by three authors is little confusing, dissuading buyers from picking up the book,” reasoned Ashok Kumar of Ashok Book Centre.
