25 Years of Harry Potter: Author JK Rowling praises readers for making the novels a success, and here's what she had to say about it

on Jun 28, 2022

As the popular children's literature series Harry Potter celebrates its 25th year of publication, author JK Rowling reflects on the period when the first book in the series was published in 1997. Rowling took to Twitter on Sunday to thank her readers as she celebrated the 25th anniversary of the book's release at an Edinburgh bookstore.

Bloomsbury released the first book in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, on June 26, 1997. "On this day 25 years ago, I saw Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone for the first time in a bookstore (Waterstones, Prince's Street, Edinburgh). "It was one of the best moments of my life," Rowling tweeted.

"I had no clue what was going to happen as I stood dumbstruck in that book shop, staring at my name on the spine of a published novel," Rowling added, thanking her publisher, Bloomsbury. "I'd like to thank every single reader who boarded the Hogwarts Express in 1997 and remained with Harry to the finish." What a voyage...", J K Rowling recalls.

Rowling discussed her troubles as a first-time author to get into the publishing industry in a BBC interview a few years ago. Rowling stated that she was broke when she finished her first Harry Potter book (Philosopher's Stone) in June 1995. Rowling did not have enough money to have her work photocopied, so she typed it herself on her typewriter. After 12 publishers rejected it, Barry Cunningham, who managed Bloomsbury's children's literature department, picked it up.

The first 500 copies of 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' were printed. The Scottish Arts Council awarded Rowling a scholarship to help her manage her money while she was writing the sequel Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Rowling has written seven fantasy novels in the Harry Potter series, which have sold well over 500 million copies, making it the best-selling book series in history.

The books have also inspired two multi-billion dollar film franchises, the Harry Potter franchise based on the seven books and its spinoff, the Fantastic Beasts franchise.