Harry Potter chair on eBay

The chair upon which an impoverished JK Rowling sat to write the first two books in the Harry Potter series is up for grabs on eBay.

Rowling wrote The Philosopher's Stone and Chamber of Secrets on the chair in her Scottish council flat when she was a single mother, surviving on benefits and struggling with depression.

It has been personalised by the author herself and features several painted slogans including: "I wrote Harry Potter while sitting on this chair."

She originally donated it to a charity auction, called Chair-ish a Child, which was held in aid of the NSPCC, in 2002 when it was sold for £15,000.

The chair is now being being auctioned on eBay with 20% of the proceeds going to the Books Abroad charity which sends free school books to impoverished countries.

Matthew Ford, the art dealer organizing the sale, said: "It's a chair you'd pay a tenner for in a junk shop but, historically, it's the most important chair in Muggledom, and probably one of the most exceptional and rare pieces of Harry Potter memorabilia ever likely to be offered for sale.

"To a Harry Potter fan this is as good as it gets. It is part of the story, part of JK Rowling's story. Whoever wins it is buying a piece of literary history."

Proving its authenticity, the chair comes complete with a special Owl Mail signed by Rowling and addressed to the 'new owner of my chair'.

The letter explains that she was given four mismatched dining room chairs in 1995 and, because it was the most comfortable, it was this one that ended up at her desk in front of her typewriter.

The author finishes off the letter with the comment: "My nostalgic side is sad to see you go but my back isn't."