Booksellers on the Island have had to jump through extraordinary security loops in the run-up to the worldwide release of the latest Harry Potter novel this month.

Bermuda's largest bookstore, the Bookmart, has had to sign affidavits with the British publishers guaranteeing the books will not be opened until one minute after midnight on June 21.

And the shop, part of the Phoenix Store, will have the precious books about the boy wizard under lock and key from June 17.

The shop has already taken 350 advance orders for "Harry Potter and Order of the Phoenix", and it is bringing in 1000 copies on the British Airways flight the weekend before the world-wide launch.

Bookmart buyer and manager Tina Ming said: "It's taken a lot of time and energy.

"But we are the biggest bookstore on the Island and we wanted to show the publishers that if everyone in the world can get Harry Potter in time for the release date, so can Bermuda. We want to be part of the whole shebang.

"To ensure an order of the latest Harry Potter, we had to sign affidavits with Bloomsbury that we would not open any box of books we receive before 12.01 a.m., Saturday, 21 June. No one is allowed to see the cover of the book until then."

Phoenix Stores marketing manager Pauline Girling said the book was the first she had heard of with a worldwide release date. "That is what is so incredible about it and what is so complicated," she said.

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" is the fifth book in the series by author JK Rowling, which are a publishing phenomenon, selling millions of copies around the world.

Security is so tight because there has been a frenzy of worldwide interest to try to get an advanced glimpse of the book.

A print plant worker in Britain recently pleaded guilty to stealing three chapters of the book and trying to sell them to the best-selling Sun newspaper for $61,900.

Bookmart will be opening an hour early at 7 a.m. on June 21 with extra staff and extra cash registers to meet the rush.

Customers who have pro-booked will be able to collect their copies from a separate line.

Meanwhile, tomorrow Bookmart will receive 50 copies yet of Hillary Rodham Clinton's book "Living History" about her life with the former president. The store has received one advance order.