Harry Potter title revealed

Dec 22, 2006, 12:10 GMT

JK Rowling has revealed the title of the final Harry Potter book - 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows'.

Fans of the schoolboy wizard series discovered the title of the highly anticipated seventh book after finding and solving a hidden puzzle posted by the British author on her website, jkrowling.com, yesterday (21.12.06).

The conundrum, which involved a cryptic visual puzzle and a game of hangman, was cracked by some ardent fans in just a few hours.

One Potter enthusiast, housewife Emily Garrett, 28, claims to have solved the game in minutes.

She said: "I wonder if I'm the first person anywhere to crack the code."

Rowling's publishing house, Bloomsbury, has confirmed the title but refused to reveal when the next instalment will hit shelves.

The 41-year-old author has not yet finished the manuscript, which will take about six months to edit, so the earliest publication date is being touted as next summer.

Rowling recently revealed that she has mixed feelings about finishing the final chapter of the Potter saga.

She said: "I am now writing scenes I have planned for a dozen years.

"I feel alternately elated and overwrought. I both want, and don't want, to finish this book. But don't worry - I will."

(C) BANG Media International