Bookshops and libraries in the UK and Ireland will be central to a huge Harry Potter competition launching this summer to find the wizard's...

Bookshops and libraries in the UK and Ireland will be central to a huge Harry Potter competition launching this summer to find the wizard's biggest fan. The competition will mark the 15th anniversary of the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Bloomsbury).

Children will only be able to enter the contest by visiting their local bookshop or library. Bloomsbury is inviting the trade and libraries to get involved from today (16th March). Those who register (via www.bloomsbury.com/hptrade) will receive a Harry Potter postbox pack so that children can post their entries—a letter explaining why they love Harry Potter.

The trade pack will include pre-paid envelopes to return entries and 100 stickers.

Registration closes on Monday 23rd April. The competition will run from 26th June to 31st July this year, and the winner and runners-up will be announced on Saturday 1st September.

Prizes will include a family holiday to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Orlando, and a leather-bound, signed, dedicated and numbered 15th anniversary edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Copies of the anniversary edition will not be available to be sold through the trade, however.

The Harry Potter novels have now sold over 450 million copies worldwide, and have been translated into 72 languages.