Product Launch

Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
15 January 2003


                           Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

   J K Rowling's Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix to be published on
           21st June, 2003 in Britain, the USA, Canada and Australia

  The world's most anticipated book is over one third longer than the previous
                   book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire


London, England; New York, New York; 15th January, 2003: Harry Potter and the
Order of the Phoenix by J K Rowling, the fifth in the best-selling series, has
been scheduled for release on Saturday 21st June, 2003 in Britain, the USA,
Canada, Australia and in the English language in many countries, it was
announced by the book's English language publishers, Bloomsbury and Scholastic,
to whom it has now been delivered. The companies also announce that Harry Potter
and the Order of the Phoenix is over one third longer than J K Rowling's
extraordinary previous book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

In making the joint announcement, Nigel Newton, Chief Executive of Bloomsbury
Publishing in Britain and Barbara Marcus, President of Scholastic Children's
Books in the United States said, 'We are thrilled to announce the publication
date. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is absolutely superb and will
delight all J K Rowling's fans. She has written a brilliant and utterly
compelling new adventure, which begins with the words:

        'The hottest day of the summer so far was drawing to a close and a
        drowsy silence lay over the large, square houses of Privet Drive ... The
        only person left outside was a teenage boy who was lying flat on his
        back in a flowerbed outside number four.'

Later in the novel, J K Rowling writes:

        'Dumbledore lowered his hands and surveyed Harry through his half-moon
        glasses.

        'It is time,' he said, 'for me to tell you what I should have told you
        five years ago, Harry.

        Please sit down. I am going to tell you everything.''

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is over 255,000 words compared to over
191,000 words in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The new book is 38
chapters long, one more than Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.




Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J K Rowling's fourth Harry Potter book, was
released on 8th July, 2000 and was the fastest selling book in history on the
first weekend of its publication. All four Harry Potter books, Harry Potter and
the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter
and the Prisoner of Azkaban, as well as Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,
have been Number 1 bestsellers and are currently on bestseller lists in Britain,
the USA, and around the world.


END



For further details, please contact:

For Bloomsbury Publishing
Kirsty Black                                                  020 7072 2315



                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange