HARRY POTTER: A HISTORY OF MAGIC
Chamber of Secrets
Open until 28 February Venue the british library Ticket price adults £16, concessions £5-11
Based, fittingly, in King’s Cross, the British Library’s Harry Potter exhibition functions both as a 20th anniversary celebration of the series, and an academic exploration of its concepts and themes. For example, in one room you’ll find JK Rowling’s original pitch for Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone, alongside sketches of Hogwarts, while in another you’ll find the Ripley Scroll: a six-metre-long manuscript from the 1500s that apparently holds the secrets to the elixir of life.
Curated with elegance and affection, it’s an essential visit for fans both big and small, taking great care to balance the informative with the dynamic. There’s twinkly music, there’s flying books, there’s a game to test your potion-making skills, and another which allows you to get your fortune read, along with an array of beautiful portraits by artist Jim Kay, and an amazing opportunity to see Harry’s invisibility cloak with your own eyes. Who would have known that it looks so much like an empty cabinet?
Is this a case of “come for Harry Potter, stay for the ancient Chinese oracle bones”? Possibly. But it’s impressive how the history complements the fiction; not only in terms of providing context for the books, but as an insight into how we, as a species, try to rationalise the world and the things that happen in it. It may be mere entertainment now, but there was a time when magic was real – you just had to believe in it. Stephen Kelly
The Philosopher’s Stone’s Nicolas Flamel was based on a real alchemist. His tombstone is on display.