Lot 281: Rowling. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Bloomsbury, 1998. First Paperback Printing

A 1998 softcover printing of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling. This is a first printing of the paperback edition, featuring the characteristic number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page. The book is bound in pictorial stiff paper wrappers with cover illustrations by Cliff Wright, depicting two characters in a flying vehicle alongside an owl. The front cover includes a printed gold SMARTIES BOOK PRIZE 1998 GOLD AWARD 9-11 AGE CATEGORY seal. The spine and back cover are printed with the title, author’s name, and publisher BLOOMSBURY. The back cover also features two critical reviews and a printed price of £4.99. The copyright page identifies the publisher as Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 38 Soho Square, London W1V 5DF, and states FIRST PUBLISHED IN GREAT BRITAIN IN 1998. The printing and binding are credited to Clays Ltd, St Ives plc. The ISBN 0 7475 3848 4 is printed on the copyright page and the back cover.