Scarce and highly sought-after first state of the first hardback edition, first printing of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, in the first-state dust jacket. With the complete number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1, 'Joanne Rowling' listed on the copyright page, and the famous dropped text error on page 7.
In the uncorrected proof copies distributed to reviewers, the word 'burnt' on page 7 was incorrectly printed as 'burned'. During the correction of this spelling error, the remaining text was inadvertently shifted onto the following line, creating the now-famous dropped text error. Shortly after the mistake was discovered, the print run was halted and the error corrected. At the same time, the author attribution on the copyright page was changed from 'Joanne Rowling' to 'J.K. Rowling'. According to Bloomsbury, approximately 2,500 first-state copies containing the dropped text error were printed (see Errington, p. 187). The vast majority of these copies have since entered private collections, and examples are now rarely offered for sale.
A fine copy with bright pictorial boards, sharp spine ends and corners, showing only a very light knock and the faintest hint of fading along the upper edge of the boards. The binding is firm and square, and the book appears unread. The pages are bright and free from names, inscriptions, stamps, or other markings. Housed in an almost fine unclipped first-state dust jacket with only very slight creasing to the spine ends. The jacket remains unfaded and free from shelf wear or edge wear.
A highly collectible example of one of the scarcest and most desirable Harry Potter books.
