JK Rowling's seventh and final installment of the Harry Potter phenomenon will be published on July 21.

The award-winning author announced the publication date on her website on Thursday morning.

The book, titled Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, will see two of the main characters die, possibly even Harry himself.

Scholastic Children's Books, her US publisher, said it would publish a hardback edition, a deluxe edition and a reinforced library edition.

Lisa Holton, president of Scholastic Children's Books, said: "We are thrilled to announce the publication date of the seventh installment in this remarkable series.

"We join JK Rowling's millions of readers - young and old, veterans and newcomers - in anticipating what lies ahead."

Lisa Holton, Scholastic Children's Books: "We are thrilled to announce the publication date of the seventh installment in this remarkable series."

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, JK Rowling's sixth Harry Potter book, was released in July 2005, and was the fastest-selling book in history, selling 6.9 million copies in the first 24 hours.

All six Harry Potter books have been number one bestsellers in the US, the UK and around the world.

There are currently over 120 million copies of the Harry Potter books in print in the US alone.

The books, which have been translated into 63 languages, follow the story of a boy wizard and his two school friends as they investigate magical mysteries.

The fifth film based on the popular books, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, will be released in the US and UK on July 13.

Rowling has won the Hugo Award, the Bram Stoker Award, as well as many other honors, and she has been named an Officer of the British Empire.