Harry Potter & The Language Barrier

The unusual level of security surrounding the release of the latest Harry Potter book has led to an unusual problem in the international marketplace: translators didn’t get to begin working on foreign versions of the text until mid-June, and at 672 pages, there’s a lot to work through. The Spanish language edition, for instance, won’t be on shelves until next spring. The first translations (German and Mandarin Chinese) are expected to be available this fall.