A host of spellbinding events are set to mark Harry Potter Night next month, with the magical evening celebrating the 20th anniversary of the first book in the series being published.
The annual event features libraries, museums and bookshops across the country celebrating the popular series, with this year’s event set to take place on February 2 on the theme of ‘The professors of Hogwarts’.
Already, a host of events around Ipswich have been organised aiming to capture the fun of last year’s celebrations.
At Felixstowe Library, organisers are hoping for another sell-out with the library being transformed into Hogwarts.
The event will run from 6-8pm and feature youngsters and adults alike donning their best Potter get-up, while enjoying local actors performing favourite scenes from the books.
Organiser Hannah Rowe said: “After a sell-out event last year, we can’t wait to bring Harry Potter Book Night back to Felixstowe Library for another night of magical activities and storytelling!
“Tickets went faster than a snitch last year and we loved welcoming 60 excited children into a transformed library to meet their favourite characters.
“We have a sneaky suspicion that the parents loved it just as much as the young wizards and witches.”
At Ipswich County Library, potions and spell-casting will be the order of the evening as budding witches and wizards learn to make potions, hunt fantastic beasts and learn to duel with magic wands.
Those in fancy dress will also have the chance to win a special prize.
Tickets are £5 for the Felixstowe event with the recommended age of seven and above, while accompanying adults won’t need a ticket.
The Ipswich event runs from 4.30-6pm with tickets £4 from the library. The event is aimed for children five and over and should be accompanied by an adult, who will not need a ticket.
The popular novels are among Suffolk libraries’ most borrowed books with more than 150 items in the library catalogue accounting for nearly 4,000 loans last year alone.
And staff at Ipswich Museum have also joined the fun and laid on a magical display with a care of magical creatures lesson, shadow puppet stories from Tales of Beedle the Bard, special concoctions from Madam Rosmerta and a chance to try your hand at making potions.
The evening runs from 7pm with tickets £9.90 available from www.ipswich.gov.uk.
June 26 this year marks the 20th anniversary since Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was first published, and has sold more than 107 million copies worldwide.
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