It was exciting news for many a Harry Potter fan in and around Colombo when the British Council Library announced that they will be hosting a series of fun and interesting events and workshops from July 1 to August 19 to mark the 20th anniversary of the Harry Potter books. As the epic books and the beloved characters are hugely popular in Sri Lanka, the Library made sure to make this event educational, creative and memorable.
The celebration kicked off on Saturday July 1 with an interactive book reading session of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by Tanya Warnakulasuriya - Arts Manager at British Council. There were lovely black and white decorations reminiscent of the dance in the Goblet of Fire movie, topped off by spooky Dementor puppets! Next in line was a magic show in the Bamboo Garden area.
A quiz was delightfully conducted in the evening. Here the children had an informative time answering questions and discussing the stories. It was a great chance for them to show off their memory and knowledge!
On July 8, a crowd of nine to sixteen-year olds were treated to a dramatic reading of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by Anabella Brochard - British Council teacher. Afterwards they trouped off to make some Howlers, which are noisy magical letters. The children had a fun arts and crafts workshop making their own unique Howlers! Next was a dramatic reading of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban for adults. The session was off to a good start with a short play performed by a few British Council teachers and the Library Team.
July 29 was the day of the Sorting Hat Ceremony. At the start of the school year at Hogwarts, the new students are sorted into four houses, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. The children and adults wear the Sorting Hat one by one, and it shouts out the chosen house! Some might get the house you wish for, some are not so lucky. Dumbledore and Prof. McGonagall welcomed everyone.
On August 2 there was a treasure hunt for the adults, followed by the kids’ treasure hunt on August 5. The library team dressed up as characters, and hinted at clues to help the participants find the treasures at last. On August 12 was a tie painting workshop for the adults and a t-shirt painting workshop for the children. This was a great opportunity to let the creative essence flow, as the Harry Potter fans let their love show in beautiful and intricate designs.
Now it was time for the biggest day of all – the Harry Potter Festival! On August 19 the entire premises in Colombo was turned into a fair, full of games, stalls and food outlets plus a book stand by Vijitha Yapa book shop to sell out Harry Potter books and a booth with Harry Potter themed accessories.
The Diagon Alley was recreated in front of the Villa, complete with Flourish and Blotts, Ollivanders and more. On the lawn, games of Quidditch were played alongside a Pumpkin Throw, Toss the Ring on the Witch’s Hat and Pin the Scar on Harry.
As the shadows grew longer, the closing ceremony took place. First was the Costume Parade. Among the adults, a radiant, bold and fiery Phoenix took home the prize, while the tiniest Harry Potter won among the kids. Dumbledore (Conleth Buckley – Senior Teacher Training and Development),
Prof. McGonagall (Shiroma Benaragama – Manager Library and Information Services) and Professor Snape (Buddhika Tennakoon – Customer Services Officer, Library) were the judges. Finally the winning house was announced – Gryffindor! After many shouts of joy, the day came to an end with a large group photograph of everyone. The crowd dispersed with smiling faces.
The celebrations were not limited to the main library….Orion City Library organised crossword puzzle competitions, ring games, face painting, a magic show and quiz nights, while Kandy and Jaffna centres joined in with a lineup of with Photo booths, Table quidditch sessions,sorting hat gatherings, sessions of treasure hunt,creative writing and book reading sessions, t-shirt painting and trivia evenings to keep their customers engaged in the celebration.
It was indeed a magical time at the British Council libraries across the island!
