VietNamNet Bridge - The special edition of "Casual Vacancy", the latest novel by JK Rowling, with the author's signatures, will be auctioned on April 23 in HCM City.

 

A book for the auction. Photo: Minh Dang 

This auction, the first of its kind, will take place from 9 am to 10 am on April 23 at the Library of Ho Chi Minh City, on the occasion of the World Day for Books and Copyright. The revenue from the auction will be donated to the audio library for the blind.

The Code 32K of the auctioned books are said to be engraved by copper, coated with 24K gold. The Youth Publishing House, the exclusive publisher of the Vietnamese version of "Harry Potter" and "Casual Vacancy" said that JK Rowling had agreed to sign some Vietnamese copies of the first novel for adults, which was released last September. Each signature goes with an authenticated stamp to prevent fake. This is a special favor of this famous novelist for Vietnamese readers.

"Casual Vacancy" came to Vietnamese readers in March 2013 through the translation by Vuong Moc.

The Casual Vacancy was Rowling's first publication since the Harry Potter series, her first apart from that series, and her first novel for adult readership.

The novel is set in a suburban West Country town called Pagford and begins with the death of beloved Parish Councillor Barry Fairbrother. Subsequently, a seat on the council is vacant and a conflict ensues before the election for his successor takes place. Factions develop, particularly concerning whether to dissociate with a local council estate, "the Fields", with which Barry supported an alliance. However, those running for a place soon find their darkest secrets revealed on the Parish Council online forum, ruining their campaign and leaving the election in turmoil.

The novel was the fastest-selling in the United Kingdom in three years and had the second best-selling opening week for a adult novel there since Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol. It became the 15th best-selling book of 2012 during its first week of release. Within the first three weeks the book’s total sales have topped one million copies in English in all formats across all territories, including the U.S. and the U.K. The book also set a Goodreads record for the all-time biggest "started reading" day, later winning the Best Fiction category in the Goodreads Choice Awards 2012. The book is being adapted into a BBC television drama for release in 2014.

Minh Chanh