Berlin, Oct 13: Boy wizard Harry Potter is to hit the streets of Germany to help the homeless and unemployed after author JK Rowling gave magazines homeless people sell exclusive rights to print a foretaste of his latest adventures.
The magazines will publish the first chapter of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" ahead of the publication of the German translation of the fifth Potter book on November 8.
Birgit Mueller editor of Hinz & Kunzt, the country's biggest-selling street magazine, said the offer from Rowling's publishers was a wonderful surprise and too good to refuse.
"It was the greatest gift to us to be able to publish the chapter," she said. "The vendors are over the moon. It will give us a massive boost."
The Potter edition of Hinz & Kunzt, which costs 1.50 euros ($1.75) of which 80 cents goes to the vendor, goes on sale in Germany on October 25.
Over 20 street magazines in Germany, Switzerland and Austria are due to run the chapter.
Bureau Report