What is the name of J.K. Rowling’s wizarding short-story collection published in 2008?

J.K. Rowling’s wizarding short-story collection published in 2008 is The Tales of Beedle the Bard.

The book contains five fairy tales from the magical world, including “The Tale of the Three Brothers,” which is important to the plot of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. In the story, Albus Dumbledore leaves Hermione Granger his annotated copy of the collection, allowing the trio to learn about the Deathly Hallows.

Rowling presented the tales as a translated collection with commentary attributed to Dumbledore. This framing makes the book function both as a set of fictional folk stories and as a piece of Wizarding World history. Its themes include greed, prejudice, death, and the consequences of magical power.

The work was published in December 2008. A limited handwritten edition had first been produced for charity, with copies given to people closely connected with the Harry Potter books and one sold to benefit the Children’s High Level Group. The commercial edition supported Rowling’s charitable work.