Harry Potter to cast spells on Kindle and iPad users

Harry Potter to cast spells on Kindle and iPad users

Harry Potter is coming to the Kindle and iPad as soon as creator J.K. Rowling agrees on making the hugely popular fantasy books available for download.

The author is considering how to replicate the success of her work after winning fans through traditional publishing and the movies, this time in the e-book market.

"We are currently actively looking at all the various options for Harry Potter in this space, that is e-books," Rowling's agent Neil Blair told AP in an e-mail.

Some 450 million copies of Harry Potter books have been sold globally. Author J.K. Rowling has permitted audio downloads of the books about the adventures of a boy wizard. But she has stayed clear of having her work converted to e-books until now.

Fans of the Harry Potter series, many of whom are tech-savvy young people who are users of e-readers like the Kindle and the iPad, will welcome the possibility of having the books in electronic format.

The appeal of e-readers lie in their ability to store hundreds of titles in a portable device in contrast to carrying heavy traditional books. Harry Potter books in particular are up to 800 pages thick and are cumbersome compared to e-books.

J.K. Rowling may have been hesitant to delve into the e-book market because of piracy concerns. Already, Harry Potter books are being downloaded illegally through the Internet.

Her agent clarifies that Rowling has nothing against e-books but has been waiting for the e-book market to mature and develop before allowing Harry Potter to weave his magic.

Posted by Kade Quinn on Tuesday April 05 2011, 8:03 AM EDT. Ref: AP. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Entertainment, Featured News. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0