Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – Uncorrected Proof Copy (Green Variant) – Signed Bloomsbury Bookplate

One of only 150 copies originally produced of the green-wrapper uncorrected proof of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, representing the revised proof state of the third novel in the series, accompanied by an Bloomsbury bookplate signed by J.K. Rowling. Unlike most surviving examples encountered today, this bookplate has never been pasted into a book and remains preserved in its original unused state, an uncommon survival.

The green-wrapper proof represents the second state of the uncorrected proof, following the earlier purple-wrapper issue. This revised proof incorporates several small textual adjustments, although the dedication present in the published edition is still absent at this stage. According to an internal Bloomsbury memo dated 14 January 1999 from Roz de la Hay at Bloomsbury Head Office, only 150 copies of this green proof were produced, confirming the very limited distribution of these early pre-publication states.

Uncorrected proof copies were produced only for the first three books in the series, all in very small numbers, and were issued by Bloomsbury several months prior to publication for review purposes. Many of these seemingly insignificant working copies were discarded at the time, which explains why they appear only rarely on the market today. They are therefore highly sought after by collectors and of considerable bibliographical interest.

A well-preserved copy. The wrappers show a few small spots to the front and rear panels, a very light crease to the upper corner of the front wrapper, and a light scratch running parallel to the upper and lower edges of the rear wrapper. A few small spots are present to the inside of the wrappers and to the half-title page. Otherwise an unread copy with an excellent, tight binding and clean internal pages.

The book is housed in a custom-made full-leather clamshell box providing both elegant presentation and long-term protection. A Letter of Authenticity from Adam Houston of The Harry Potter Specialist accompanies the book and confirms the authenticity of the signature.