The search is on to find a young Irish participant to travel to Scotland to attend the launch of JK Rowling's latest Harry Potter bestseller this summer.
In the next few weeks, The Irish Times will run a competition to select the lucky Harry Potter fan who will travel to Edinburgh Castle for the event on July 16th.
At one minute past noon that Saturday morning the eyes of millions of children (and, let's face it, plenty of adults too) will be on the Great Hall of Edinburgh Castle to hear the first few lines of Rowling's new work, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. That night, the author will read a passage from her sixth Harry Potter book in an event that will be broadcast live around the world.
Among the audience in the Great Hall will be 70 cub reporters aged 8-16 attending the event as part of the Harry Potter children's press conference weekend on behalf of selected newspapers around the globe, including The Irish Times. For one lucky reader and his or her equally lucky parent, The Irish Times will be offering the chance to meet Rowling, receive a signed copy of her new book and then question her on various aspects of it.
In the next few weeks, The Irish Times will run a competition to select the Irish participant. Details will be published in the coming weeks.