Rare Harry Potter book kept in attic to be auctioned

Bound in leather, just 15 copies were produced as competition prizes in 2012

A rare edition of the first Harry Potter book, never released to the public, is to be auctioned after being kept in an attic for a decade.

One of only 15 copies, the leather-bound version signed by author JK Rowling was produced to mark the 15th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

It was awarded to competition entrant Chloe Esslemont, of Cumbria.

It will be sold on 16 December and has an estimated price of up to £10,000.

Ms Esslemont was 16 when she took part in the 2012 competition run by book publisher Bloomsbury, which asked fans for a colourful and elaborate letter of no more than 50 words explaining why they loved the series.

'Kept wrapped up'

Letters could only be submitted through specially-designed post boxes at participating bookshops and libraries, with the overall winner receiving one of the books and a family holiday to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at the Universal theme park in Florida.

Chloe Esslemont's entry took inspiration from the series' Marauder's Map, which reveals Hogwarts' secret passages

Now working as a child practitioner, runner-up Ms Esslemont said she became a fan of Harry Potter at the age of five when she saw one of the films for the first time.

She added she had "kept the book wrapped up in the attic for years" but had decided to part with it as "the money would be useful now".

'Particularly scarce'

The book, containing a dedication to her, is being auctioned along with her original competition entry which is in the form of a folding document inspired by the series' magical Marauder's Map.

Book expert Jim Spencer, of Staffordshire-based auctioneers Hansons, said: "The rarest and most valuable Potter book to own is generally regarded as being one of the original 500 hardback copies of Philosopher's Stone from the first-ever print run in 1997.

"I have found 18 of those so far and the highest hammer price achieved to date [for those sold by Hansons] is £69,000. But this new find is particularly scarce.

"I haven't found another one for sale, or having sold, anywhere. I'm guiding broadly at £5,000 to £10,000, but who knows what will happen if two or more people are determined to own it."

Ms Esslemont's colourful and elaborate entry impressed the competition's judges