Jekaterina Budryte
Celebrating 20 years
In 2020, Lithuania joined the international celebration marking the twentieth anniversary of Harry Potter, honoring two decades since the magical series was first translated into Lithuanian and published by Alma littera. To commemorate the milestone, the publisher surprised fans with a reprint of the entire series—this time with striking new covers created by one of the country’s most beloved illustrators: Jekaterina Budryte.
It was a moment of pride not only for Lithuanian readers, but also for Budryte herself—who found her own love for the books rekindled in the process of designing them anew.
Making choices
For Budryte, being chosen to design the new Harry Potter covers was nothing short of destiny fulfilled. “I’m a huge Harry Potter fan,” she said. “I’ve read the books more than once. Being asked to create covers for my favorite book is like a gift from fate.”
It’s rare that an illustrator finds themselves reimagining not just any book, but their book—the one that shaped their imagination, inspired their inner child, and brought them joy for years. Budryte’s enthusiasm shines through in every detail of the covers she created. This was more than a commission; it was a personal tribute.
A modern wizard
Alma littera described Budryte’s reinterpretation of the covers as “modern,” but beneath the updated aesthetic lies a deep reverence for the source material. These were not covers designed from a distance—they were crafted by someone who had lived the stories, walked the halls of Hogwarts in her mind, and loved these characters as much as the readers she was designing for.
Her style brought fresh energy to the series, appealing to both first-time readers and longtime fans, while marking a new visual chapter for Harry Potter in Lithuania. The books were no longer just beloved stories—they had become collectibles, wrapped in art born of admiration.
Honoring Harry
There’s a special kind of magic when an artist gets to work on something they adore. Budryte never imagined her path would cross so directly with J.K. Rowling’s universe, nor that her own name would one day be linked with the boy wizard who had inspired her.
And yet, in these new covers, she doesn’t just illustrate the story—she honors it. She doesn’t just pay tribute to its world—she leaves a piece of herself within it.