Faking It

Potter-besotted readers worldwide are desperate for author J.K. Rowling to stop counting her gazillions and finish the next Harry Potter book. But in China, there's no need to wait. Middle Kingdom readers are eagerly slapping down $1.80 for Harry Potter and Leopard Walk up to Dragon, a 198-page book that claims to be the series' fifth installment. If the tortured title isn't clue enough: the book's a fake, written in Mandarin by an anonymous Chinese author, though its cover bears Rowling's name. Police are threatening to fine booksellers who stock it, but the People's Literature Publishing House, Harry's official Mandarin translator,...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!