Harry Potter fans are getting a new book to devour.
Audible and Pottermore Publishing are releasing an original audiobook titled Harry Potter: A History of Magic, based on the exhibition of the same name that opened at the British Library in 2017 (the exhibition also got a companion book). Entertainment Weekly exclusively announced that it will be narrated by Game of Thrones actor (and Harry Potter fan) Natalie Dormer, making her debut into J.K. Rowling's multimedia franchise.
The non-fiction book will look at the history of magic and how it inspired Rowling while she was writing the series. It will delve into the similarities and differences between Rowling's inventions and their cultural and folkloric precedents, from Chinese oracle bones to the story of Nicolas Flamel, the real-life 14th-century scribe and alchemist who was believed to have found the philosopher's stone. Fans will also learn tidbits about the development of the series thanks to material from Rowling's archive. The book boasts exclusive interviews with past Harry Potter narrators Jim Dale and Stephen Fry, illustrators Jim Kay and Olivia Lomenech Gill, and more. The experience is structured by Hogwarts subjects, featuring Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and more.
Harry Potter: A History of Magic will be released on October 4, one day before the exhibit makes its way to the States and moves into the New-York Historical Society. Dormer will also lend her voice to the free audio guide that will accompany the exhibit.