Holy cow! The Harry Potter release party in Union Square just got about fifty trillion times cooler! I knew Jim Dale (performed the US edition audio books) would be in attendance, but we’re also getting:

• Dave Barry (via video) and Ridley Pearson, co-authors of The New York Times bestselling prequels to Peter Pan, Peter and the Starcatchers and Peter and the Shadow Thieves, as well as the upcoming final book in the trilogy, Peter and the Secret of Rundoon.
• Eoin Colfer (via video), author of the multi-million selling global phenomenon Artemis Fowl series as well as the upcoming Artemis Fowl: The Graphic Novel.
• Rick Riordan, author of the number one New York Times bestselling series Percy Jackson & The Olympians.
• Jonathan Stroud, author of the bestselling Bartimaeus Trilogy.
• Cinda Williams Chima, author of The Warrior Heir and The Wizard Heir.
• Rob Kidd, author of The New York Times bestselling series Pirates of the Caribbean: Jack Sparrow.

The event will also be webcast live at bn.com/midnightmagic.

HECK. YES.