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At 768 pages, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will be more than one-third longer than the previous book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, its publisher Bloomsbury said.
"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is absolutely superb and will delight all JK Rowling's fans," said Nigel Newton, the chief executive of Bloomsbury.
The publication date will be a Saturday, to ensure that children are not tempted to skip school to buy it. Two hardback versions will be published simultaneously.
No details of the story were revealed yesterday, except the first few words, which begin: "The hottest day of the summer so far was drawing to a close and a drowsy silence lay over the large, square houses of Privet Drive. The only person left outside was a teenage boy who was lying flat on his back in a flowerbed outside number four."
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