Huge sales of the Chinese children’s novel The Adventurous Prince by Zhou Yiwen are anticipated when it’s released at the end of June because school children gave the 100,000 copies distributed in test marketing an enthusiastic reception. And why not? They love the Harry Potter series, and Chinese meda claim Zhou has plagiarized from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire:  

“We are confident our book and its content are totally original. It has been thoroughly checked by our editors,” [the Chinese publisher’s spokesperson] said.

Chinese media alleged Tuesday that Zhou lifted 18 specific details from the Harry Potter series and that Rowling is preparing to file lawsuits. If found guilty, Zhou and his publishers could face a fine of around US$138 million, the reports claimed.

It’s ironic that at the same time the Chinese plagiarism story was making news it was revealed that Rowling has been accused of copying “substantial parts” of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire from deceased fellow British writer Adrian Jacobs.

Whoever it was, somewhere along the line somebody wrote a heckuva story.

[Thanks to Andrew Porter for the story.]