An unexpected encounter with a children's author 23 years ago may have led to a windfall auction profit for a retired school librarian. While employed at Millfield Preparatory School in Glastonbury, Janette Tuckwell and her students had the opportunity to meet J.K. Rowling.
For Ms. Tuckwell, the author inscribed two books that she will now sell at auction.
Janette's autographed books were valued between £1,500 and £2,000 by Jim Spencer, a book expert at Hansons. .
Her books were well-liked at the time, but the Potter craze hadn't yet spread worldwide, according to Ms. Tuckwell. "I snapped a picture of her with the students, and she signed two books for me.
They've been collecting dust on a book shelf for more than 20 years, but after reading an article about how in-demand Potter books are, I made the decision to get in touch with Hansons Auctioneers. ".
In Hansons' Harry Potter and library auction on March 7, they will be up for bid along with the original photograph of the famous author with schoolchildren taken at Waterstones.
It's pleasant to imagine those eager kids meeting J.K. Rowling in 1999, Mr. Spencer said. It's also a heartwarming reminder of a reading craze that existed before any of the movies were created. ".
The Potter books were a library's gift from heaven, Ms. Tuckwell continued.
"They introduced a lot of kids to reading. Since they enjoyed discussing the plot with their friends, they had to stay current.
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