JK opposes age banding

According to the Scotsman newspaper – JK Rowling has weighed into the age banding debate and has added her name to the petition over on notoagebanding.org. The Scotsman seem to think that it is the end of line for age banding if JK opposes – I’m not sure one writer wields THAT much power?

Interestingly the Scotsman does include a round up of how the main UK children’s book publishers are currently standing on the issue.

Children’s publishers now fall into three camps. Walker Books, which was opposed to the move from the outset, has been joined by JK Rowling’s publisher, Bloomsbury, and about eight other major publishers. Against them are Random House, Scholastic and Egmont.

There is a also a quote from recent visitor to Dublin, Keith Gray about his opinion on age banding

Would those queues for Harry Potter have been so long if the books had had a ‘Teens’ sticker?” he asks. “Younger readers wouldn’t have bothered with it and neither would most of the grown-ups.

“The whole age-banding thing is a nonsense, and I’m very pleased JK Rowling is supporting the campaign against it.”

£2500 per JK book

According to Evening News in Scotland – Seven JK Rowling originals have sold for £18k

The signed JK Rowling first edition collection was expected to attract serious bids after it went on sale at Cameo Fine Art Auctioneers in Berkshire and eventually went for £17,800.

Included in the set is The Philosopher’s Stone, The Chamber of Secrets, The Prisoner of Azkaban, The Goblet of Fire, The Order of the Phoenix, The Half-Blood Prince and The Deathly Hallows.

Maybe its me but does that not seem like a bargain for a complete collection of signed first editions? Anyway I suppose whether it is a steal or a spree the buyer won’t be letting them get covered in biscuit crumbs?