PUBLISHING company Bloomsbury said that a magical performance from child wizard Harry Potter in the first half of the year helped it to one of the busiest six-month periods in its history.
The London company, reporting financial figures for the six months to June 30, said the fifth instalment in the life of JK Rowling's schoolboy character ensured the publishing phenomenon continued to grow.
The release of Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix also helped to increase sales of the previous four books, helping lift group sales 18.2 per cent in the half to £29m.
Bloomsbury said pre-tax profits increased 13.7 per cent to £3.56m in the period.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article