As the iconic children’s fiction series Harry Potter completes 25 years since the first book’s release, author JK Rowling reminisces about the time when the first book in the series got published in 1997. Rowling has taken to Twitter to thank her readers while celebrating 25 years of the book launch at a bookstore in Edinburgh on Sunday.
I had absolutely no idea what was coming as I stood dumbstruck in that book shop, staring at my name on the spine of a published novel. Thank you to every single reader who boarded the Hogwarts Express in 1997 and stuck with Harry until the very end. What a journey it was… ⚡️❤️
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 26, 2022
The first book in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s stone was published by Bloomsbury on June 26, 1997. “25 years ago today, I saw Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in a bookstore (Waterstones, Prince’s Street, Edinburgh) for the very first time. It was one of the best moments of my life,” Rowling wrote on Twitter.
“Had absolutely no idea what was coming as I stood dumbstruck in that book shop, staring at my name on the spine of a published novel,” Rowling said while thanking her publisher, Bloomsbury. “Thank you to every single reader who boarded the Hogwarts Express in 1997 and stuck with Harry until the very end. What a journey it was…”, J K Rowling recollects.
In a BBC interview a few years ago, Rowling talked about her struggles as a first-time author to crack the publishing industry. Rowling talked about being completely broke when she completed her first Harry Potter book (Philosopher’s stone) in June 1995. Rowling did not have enough money to print multiple photocopies of her manuscript, and hence typed them herself on her typewriter. After a defeating rejection from 12 publishers, Barry Cunningham, who ran the children’s literature department at Bloomsbury picked it up.
‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ was published with an initial print run of 500 copies. To manage her finances, The Scottish Arts Council rewarded Rowling with a fellowship while she was writing the sequel Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Over the years, Rowling has authored seven fantasy novels in the Harry Potter series, with a combined sale of well over 500 Million copies, making them the best-selling book series in history.
The books have given rise to two multi-billion movie franchises as well, the Harry Potter franchise based on the 7 books, and its spinoff, the Fantastic Beasts franchise.
