The London papers beat J.K. Rowling to the punch on her own Pottermore project.
Last week, the Harry Potter author said she had something new for Potter fans and had planned her official announcement for a new Potter-themed website today. But before Rowling could unveil it, a memo about the project was leaked to every newspaper in the U.K. yesterday outlining the PR strategy behind the highly anticipated addition to Potter world.
So was the memo, dated December 2010, just a well-planned marketing ploy to build buzz for the site?
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Not so much.
Rowling's spokeswoman Rebecca Salt said the leaked memo was outdated and inaccurate.
"The British press have been very imaginative in their interpretation of the document, but I can categorically say the project is not a Treasure Hunt or a game," Salt said in a statement.
The project had drawn much chatter from fans, who speculated that it was everything from a movie encyclopedia to a Potter theme park to a social networking site.
Turns out Pottermore, which launched this morning, is an interactive website featuring games and competitions, and fans will now also be able to buy e-book editions of the Potter series for the first time. Superfan site the Leaky Cauldron was given a sneak preview and wrote that it is "one of the most amazing, engaging and breathtaking additions to this fandom imaginable. Even though this is not a new book...it is something equally exciting."
Should keep Potter fans busy until Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 hits theaters July 15.