Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: The Story and Art of MinaLima

Czech fans of Harry Potter have a reason to celebrate! The Albatros publishing house is bringing the Czech edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone to the market, featuring breathtaking illustrations by the world-renowned studio MinaLima. This unique edition combines the beloved story with rich visual elements, interactive paper components, and detailed graphic design that brings a new dimension to the wizarding world of J. K. Rowling.

MinaLima Design is a graphic design studio founded in 2010 by Eduardo Lima and Miraphora Mina, who have been collaborating since 2002. The company is famous for its work on the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts film series, where they created all the graphic elements, including iconic items like the Marauder's Map, the Daily Prophet, The Quibbler, and hundreds of boxes and labels for Honeydukes and Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Miraphora Mina has been involved with the Harry Potter franchise since the first film, while Eduardo Lima joined during the third. Their studio at Leavesden Studios was even called "J. K. Rowling's favorite room on Earth."

In 2012, MinaLima launched The Printorium, an online platform for selling high-quality reproductions of their film props.

In June 2016, they opened the House of MinaLima exhibition in London's West End, which was free to the public and showcased a wide range of graphic prints and props. The exhibition was located near the Palace Theatre, where the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was performed, and ran until early 2017. MinaLima also worked on the film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, drawing inspiration from 1920s ephemera and posters.

Who is behind the MinaLima studio

Studio MinaLima consists of designers Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima. Miraphora graduated in theatre design in 1987 in London, while Eduardo studied visual communication in 1997 in Rio de Janeiro.

Their collaboration began in 2001 while creating the graphic universe of the Harry Potter films for Warner Bros. Together, they created the complete graphic style for all films in the series and founded their own studio in 2009 with the goal of bringing distinct and unconventional design to the entertainment and publishing industries. They continued working on projects related to Harry Potter, designed graphic elements for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort, and worked on other films such as The Golden Compass, Sweeney Todd, and The Imitation Game.

Beyond film work, they have illustrated and designed covers for collector's editions of classic novels like Alice in Wonderland, The Jungle Book, and The Secret Garden.

They also created the bestselling MinaLima Classics series for Harper Collins and opened the House of MinaLima gallery, where they present their graphic work and passion for storytelling through images.

About MinaLima studio books

Since 2011, Studio MinaLima has been reimagining classic stories full of adventure, fairy tales, and magic through their richly illustrated editions. Their books are characterized by lush illustrations, interactive paper elements, and intricate details that bring stories to life and offer readers a unique experience. Each book is carefully designed from the color palette to the typography and cover materials, with an emphasis on storytelling through visual elements. Interactive paper elements, such as 3D models and special features, allow readers to engage with the story in new and exciting ways. With detailed illustrations full of hidden references, MinaLima creates magical worlds that appeal to readers of all ages, becoming treasures for future generations.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

It took a few years, but the Albatros publishing house finally found the courage to take on such a technically complex task – publishing the MinaLima edition of the first Harry Potter book in Czech.

What can you expect from this edition? In addition to beautiful illustrations, the book contains a whole range of inserts. Sometimes it's a fold-out map, an envelope with a letter, other times a pop-up spread. On one hand, it's surely a nightmare for the print shop staff responsible for assembling the work, but on the other, it's an absolutely unique contribution to the Harry Potter universe. I don't know a fan who wouldn't be drooling with excitement over this beauty.

It's not always easy to perfectly combine the visual side of films and film props with a book. Peter Jackson succeeded with The Lord of the Rings, and MinaLima definitely succeeded with Harry Potter. Looking at their graphics, one immediately recalls a scene from Hogwarts or perhaps Diagon Alley.

The edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone illustrated by Studio MinaLima is a true treasure for all lovers of magic and adventure. The unique design and passion for storytelling through images bring the classic story to life and offer an unforgettable reading experience. This Czech edition isn't just a book; it's a collector's item that will delight the hearts of fans.

author Karel Krajča