Publishers behind the “Harry Potter” series will donate more than 200,000 books worldwide for Back to Hogwarts Day on 1 September, aiming to encourage reading among children and families. The initiative coincides with heightened interest in the franchise ahead of HBO’s forthcoming television adaptation and includes free access to several digital and audio editions.

Scholastic will give 100,000 copies of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” to underserved US communities and provide its audiobook to 100,000 teachers through Book Clubs. Bloomsbury will donate UK copies through literacy charities, while libraries will have September waitlists removed for digital editions; original audiobooks narrated by Stephen Fry and Jim Dale will also be free on selected platforms, alongside a one-day fan event in London.