The book was first published in the United Kingdom on 26 June 1997 by Bloomsbury. It was published in the United States the following year by Scholastic Corporation under the title Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. It won most of the British book awards that were judged by children and other awards in the US. The book reached the top of the "New York Times" list of best-selling fiction in August 1999 and stayed near the top of that list for much of 1999 and 2000. It has been translated into at least 73 other languages, and has been made into a feature-length film of the same name, as have all six of its sequels.
Introduction
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | Introduction
Bloomsbury. Bloomsbury in the United Kingdom and Scholastic Press in the United States. Bloomsbury Bloomsbury
when did jk rowling wrote the harry potter books
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Her debut novel was written between approximately June 1990 and some time in 1995.
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who is j.k. rowling?
user
A British writer and philanthropist.
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what is her full name?
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Joanne Kathleen Rowling
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who were her parents?
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Science technician Anne and Rolls-Royce aircraft engineer Peter James Rowling.
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did she get married?
user
Yes -She married Portuguese television journalist Jorge Arantes in 1992 but they separated. Then she married Neil Murray a Scottish doctor in 2001
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how many kids does she have?
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3 kids - Jessica Isabel Rowling Arantes, David Gordon Rowling Murray, Mackenzie Jean Rowling
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where did she study?
user
Wyedean School and College, University of Exeter.
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what are her views on religions?
user
She identifies herself as a Christian; She believes in God, not magic; she is an adherent of the Church of England; believes in an afterlife, and that her faith plays a part in her books.
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what was her inspiration to write the aforementioned books?
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In 1990, while she was on a train trip from Manchester to London, the idea for a story of a young boy attending a school of wizardry "came fully formed" into her mind. Her headmaster at St Michael's, Alfred Dunn, has been suggested as the inspiration for the "Harry Potter" headmaster Albus Dumbledore. Her mother's death heavily affected Rowling's writing
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who is the book's publisher?
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In 1995, Rowling finished her manuscript for "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" which was typed on an old manual typewriter. Upon the enthusiastic response of Bryony Evens, a reader who had been asked to review the book's first three chapters, the Fulham-based Christopher Little Literary Agency agreed to represent Rowling in her quest for a publisher. The book was submitted to twelve publishing houses, all of which rejected the manuscript. A year later, she was finally given the green light (and a £1,500 advance) by editor Barry Cunningham from Bloomsbury, a publishing house in London. The decision to publish Rowling's book owes much to Alice Newton, the eight-year-old daughter of Bloomsbury's chairman, who was given the first chapter to review by her father and immediately demanded the next.
J. K. Rowling | "Harry Potter"
After eight other publishers had rejected "Philosopher's Stone", Bloomsbury offered Rowling a £2,500 advance for its publication. Despite Rowling's statement that she did not have any particular age group in mind when beginning to write the "Harry Potter" books, the publishers initially targeted children aged nine to eleven. On the eve of publishing, Rowling was asked by her publishers to adopt a more gender-neutral pen name in order to appeal to the male members of this age group, fearing that they would not be interested in reading a novel they knew to be written by a woman. She elected to use J.
Harry Potter | Publishing history
K. Rowling (Joanne Kathleen Rowling), using her grandmother's name as her second name because she has no middle name. "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" was published by Bloomsbury, the publisher of all "Harry Potter" books in the United Kingdom, on 26 June 1997. It was released in the United States on 1 September 1998 by Scholastic – the American publisher of the books – as "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone", after Rowling had received US$105,000 for the American rights – a record amount for a children's book by an unknown author. Fearing that American readers would not associate the word "philosopher" with magic (although the Philosopher's Stone is an ancient tradition in alchemy), Scholastic insisted that the book be given the title "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" for the American market.
Harry Potter | Publishing history
Bloomsbury accepted the book, paying Rowling a £2,500 advance, and Cunningham sent proof copies to carefully chosen authors, critics and booksellers in order to obtain comments that could be quoted when the book was launched. He was less concerned about the book's length than about its author's name, since the title sounded like a boys' book to him, and he believed boys preferred books by male authors. Rowling therefore adopted the "nom de plume" J.K. Rowling just before publication. In June 1997, Bloomsbury published "Philosopher's Stone" with an initial print-run of 500 copies in hardback, three hundred of which were distributed to libraries.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | Publication and reception in the United Kingdom
Pottermore Publishing remains the publisher of the e-book editions of the "Harry Potter" books.
Pottermore | Introduction
Scholastic Corporation bought the U.S. rights at the Bologna Book Fair in April 1997 for US$105,000, an unusually high sum for a children's book. Scholastic's Arthur Levine thought that "philosopher" sounded too archaic for readers and after some discussion (including the proposed title "Harry Potter and the School of Magic"), the American edition was published in September 1998 under the title Rowling suggested, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone". Rowling later said that she regretted this change and would have fought it if she had been in a stronger position at the time. Philip Nel has pointed out that the change lost the connection with alchemy, and the meaning of some other terms changed in translation, for example from "crumpet" to "muffin".
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | U.S. publication and reception
Barry Cunningham (born 19 December 1952) is a British publisher, who worked for various publishers including Penguin Books and Bloomsbury before setting up Chicken House publishing in 2000. He is most well known for signing J.K Rowling, and publishing "Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone" in 1997.
Barry Cunningham (publisher) | Introduction
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling. The first novel in the "Harry Potter" series and Rowling's debut novel, it follows Harry Potter, a young wizard who discovers his magical heritage on his eleventh birthday, when he receives a letter of acceptance to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry makes close friends and a few enemies during his first year at the school, and with the help of his friends, Harry faces an attempted comeback by the dark wizard Lord Voldemort, who killed Harry's parents, but failed to kill Harry when he was just 15 months old.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | Introduction
In 1995 Little received 3 chapters of a manuscript from J. K. Rowling (then known as Joanne Rowling) who was looking for representation. Looking at a list of literary agents she saw the name "Christopher Little" and, believing it to sound like a character in a children's story, sent him the first three chapters of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone". Little responded four days later requesting the balance of the book, thinking there was something special about it. Every major UK publisher turned the book down but a small publishing company had just opened a children’s department Bloomsbury Publishing.
Christopher Little Literary Agency | J. K. Rowling
Her original name, "Joanne Rowling", can be found in small print on the copyright page of this first British edition. (The 1998 first American edition would remove reference to "Joanne" completely.) The short initial print run was standard for first novels, and Cunningham hoped booksellers would read the book and recommend it to customers. Examples from this initial print run have sold for as much as US$33,460 in a 2007 Heritage Auction. Lindsey Fraser, who had previously supplied one of the blurb comments, wrote what is thought to be the first published review, in "The Scotsman" on 28 June 1997.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | Publication and reception in the United Kingdom
Rowling spent six years working on "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone", and after it was accepted by Bloomsbury, she obtained a grant of £8,000 from the Scottish Arts Council, which enabled her to plan the sequels. She sent the book to an agent and a publisher, and then the second agent she approached spent a year trying to sell the book to publishers, most of whom thought it was too long at about 90,000 words. Barry Cunningham, who was building a portfolio of distinctive fantasies by new authors for Bloomsbury Children's Books, recommended accepting the book, and the eight-year-old daughter of Bloomsbury's chief executive said it was "so much better than anything else".
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | Development
rights to "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone", they thought that a child would not want to read a book with the word "philosopher" in the title and, after some discussion, the American edition was published in September 1998 under the title author J. K. Rowling suggested, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone". Rowling claimed that she regretted this change and would have fought it if she had been in a stronger position at the time. Academic Philip Nel, who specialises in children's literature, has pointed out that the change lost the connection with alchemy.
Alternative title | Reasons
In 1990, Rowling was on a crowded train from Manchester to London when the idea for Harry suddenly "fell into her head". Rowling gives an account of the experience on her website saying: Rowling completed "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" in 1995 and the manuscript was sent off to several prospective agents. The second agent she tried, Christopher Little, offered to represent her and sent the manuscript to Bloomsbury.
Harry Potter | Origins
"Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" was published by Bloomsbury, the publisher of all "Harry Potter" books in the United Kingdom, on 30 June 1997. It was released in the United States on 1 September 1998 by Scholastic—the American publisher of the books—as "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone", after Rowling had received US$105,000 for the American rights—an unprecedented amount for a children's book by a then-unknown author. The second book, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" was originally published in the UK on 2 July 1998, and in the US on 2 June 1999. "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" was then published a year later in the UK on 8 July 1999, and in the US on 8 September 1999.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows | Franchise
In early 1998, an auction was held in the United States for the rights to publish the novel, and was won by Scholastic Inc., for US$105,000. Rowling said that she "nearly died" when she heard the news. In October 1998, Scholastic published "Philosopher's Stone" in the US under the title of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone", a change Rowling says she now regrets and would have fought if she had been in a better position at the time. Rowling moved from her flat with the money from the Scholastic sale, into 19 Hazelbank Terrace in Edinburgh. Its sequel, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets", was published in July 1998 and again Rowling won the Smarties Prize.
J. K. Rowling | "Harry Potter"
Ottenheimer Publishers, Inc. was a Baltimore, Maryland, publisher founded in 1890 and which closed in 2002. The publisher was primarily a packager known for children's books, especially pop-up and board books, as well as cookbooks. It was a printer for Time Magazine. It also republished the works of Nancy Stouffer. Stouffer authored "The Legend of Rah and the Muggles" as well as "Larry Potter and His Best Friend Lilly". She filed an unsuccessful trademark infringement lawsuit in 2000 against "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling and U.S. publisher Scholastic.
Ottenheimer Publishers | Introduction
Harry Potter, a seemingly ordinary eleven-year-old boy, is actually a wizard and survivor of Lord Voldemort's attempted rise to power. Harry is rescued by Rubeus Hagrid from his unkind Muggle relatives, Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and his cousin Dudley, and takes his place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he and his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger become entangled in the mystery of the Philosopher's Stone, which is being kept within the school. In October 1998, Warner Bros. purchased the film rights to the first four novels of the "Harry Potter" fantasy series by J. K. Rowling for a seven-figure sum, after a pitch from producer David Heyman.
Wizarding World | "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" (2001)
Dean was named "Gary" in the original drafts of "Philosopher's Stone". Rowling omitted his physical description ("a black boy taller than Ron") from the British version of the book following her editor's request to reduce the length of the chapter, but it was included in the American edition. His backstory was originally expanded in "Chamber of Secrets", but she ultimately cut it due to her inability to work it into the storyline. In "Order of the Phoenix", Dean joins the D.A. and also believes Harry and Dumbledore when they insist that Voldemort has returned; but, when Harry and Seamus engage in a heated row over the "Daily Prophet"s allegations that Harry had merely fabricated the story, Dean refuses to take sides.
Dumbledore's Army | Dean Thomas
Manjul Publishings recently also translated Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in Gujarati, a regional language of India. It was named as "Harry Potter aur Parasmani". Manjul Publishings also translated Harry Potter novels in Marathi, Bengali and Malayalam.
Manjul Publishing House Pvt. Ltd. | Major published books
While Rowling accepted the change from both the British English "mum" and Seamus Finnigan's Irish variant "mam" to "mom" in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone", she vetoed this change in the later books, which was then reversed in later editions of "Philosopher's Stone". However, Nel considered that Scholastic's translations were considerably more sensitive than most of those imposed on British English books of the time, and that some other changes could be regarded as useful copyedits. Since the British editions of early titles in the series were published months prior to the American versions, some American readers became familiar with the British English versions owing to having bought them from online retailers.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | U.S. publication and reception
RDR Books’ defense team, which includes solo San Francisco practitioner, Lizbeth Hasse of the Creative Industry Law Group, solo New York practitioner David Hammer, and the Fair Use Project at Stanford University Law School, has replied to the suit, arguing: Rowling stated that her efforts to halt the publishing of the Lexicon have been crushing her creativity, and said that she was not sure if she has "the will or the heart" to now publish her own encyclopedia.
The Harry Potter Lexicon | Lawsuit
In the opening chapter of the first novel of the series, Dumbledore arrives at number four, Privet Drive in Little Whinging, Surrey. When the evil wizard Lord Voldemort kills Harry's parents before being reduced to a lesser form, Dumbledore decides to place the now-orphaned Harry in the home of Vernon and Petunia Dursley. He knows that Harry will be protected by the special magic caused by his mother's sacrifice. He reasons that they are the only family he has left with Petunia Evans Dursley being Harry's aunt, who accepting her nephew into their home. This old magic of binding love renders Voldemort incapable of touching Harry.
Albus Dumbledore | "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone"
Stouffer also drew a number of other comparisons, such as a castle on a lake, a receiving room and wooden doors. Portions of "Rah" were originally published in booklet form in 1986 by Ande Publishing Company, a company founded by Stouffer together with a group of friends and family. Ande Publishing filed for bankruptcy in September 1987 without selling any of its booklets in the United States or elsewhere. Rowling has stated that she first visited the United States in 1998. Rowling, along with Scholastic Press (her American publisher) and Warner Bros. (holders of the series' film rights), pre-empted Stouffer in 2002 with a suit of their own seeking a declaratory judgment that they had not infringed on any of Stouffer's works.
Legal disputes over the Harry Potter series | Nancy Stouffer
In 2000, Steve Vander Ark, a librarian from Grand Rapids, Michigan, created the Harry Potter Lexicon, an online encyclopedia of the Harry Potter book series that collected and reorganized various facts from the novels into a searchable form. The Lexicon, which is non-profit, with only its operations paid for by advertising, quickly became a favorite for fans of the books, including Rowling herself, who claimed on her website that "I have been known to sneak into an internet cafe while out writing and check a fact rather than go into a bookshop and buy a copy of "Harry Potter", which is embarrassing." In August 2007, Vander Ark was contacted by Roger Rapoport, President of RDR Books, and asked about the possibility of publishing a for-profit print version of the site.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. v. RDR Books | Origins
Although Bloomsbury agreed to publish the book, Cunningham says that he advised Rowling to get a day job, since she had little chance of making money in children's books. Soon after, in 1997, Rowling received an £8,000 grant from the Scottish Arts Council to enable her to continue writing. In June 1997, Bloomsbury published "Philosopher's Stone" with an initial print run of 1,000 copies, 500 of which were distributed to libraries. Today, such copies are valued between £16,000 and £25,000. Five months later, the book won its first award, a Nestlé Smarties Book Prize. In February, the novel won the British Book Award for Children's Book of the Year and, later, the Children's Book Award.
J. K. Rowling | "Harry Potter"
The recipients of these copies were not initially identified. Since then, two of these people have been named. One is Barry Cunningham, Rowling's very first editor. Another is Arthur A. Levine, editor for Scholastic, the U.S. publisher of the "Harry Potter" books. Cunningham and Levine had lent their personal copies as part of "Beedle the Bard" exhibits in December 2008. Rowling also decided to create a seventh handwritten copy (distinguished from the others by its moonstone jewelling) to sell at auction in order to raise funds for The Children's Voice charity campaign.
The Tales of Beedle the Bard | Handmade edition
In 1999, Rowling sold the film rights of the first four "Harry Potter" books to Warner Bros. for a reported £1 million ($1.65 million in 1999). Rowling demanded that the principal cast be kept strictly British but allowed for the casting of Irish actors such as the late Richard Harris as Dumbledore and of foreign actors as characters of the same nationalities in later books. After extensive casting, filming began in September 2000 at Leavesden Film Studios and in London, with production ending in July 2001. "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" was released in London on 14 November 2001.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | Film version
Snape first appears in "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone", shortly after Harry arrives at Hogwarts. He is the school's Potions Master, though he is widely rumoured to covet the Defence Against the Dark Arts post. Snape himself confirms the rumour in "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix". Snape is a sinister and malicious teacher who makes frequent snide and disparaging remarks at Harry's expense. He quickly becomes the primary antagonist of the book, as Harry suspects him of plotting to steal the philosopher's stone, and of attempting to kill him. Only the climax of the book reveals that Professor Quirrell, in league with Lord Voldemort, is the real enemy; Snape, suspicious of Quirrell, had been looking out for Harry throughout the book.
Severus Snape | "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone"
Pottermore Ltd. is the digital publishing, e-commerce, entertainment, and news company from J. K. Rowling and is a global digital publisher of "Harry Potter" and the Wizarding World. It offers news, features, and articles as well as new and previously unreleased writing by J. K. Rowling. The site features Rowling's thoughts, several pages of unpublished text, and a sales resource for e-book and audiobook versions of the seven "Harry Potter" novels. On 31 July 2011, registration for the limited beta release began. The limited release allowed the first million fans registered to complete The Magical Quill challenge. The original registration was intended to be October 2011, but was delayed until 14 April 2012.
Pottermore | Introduction
At first the most prestigious reviewers ignored the book, leaving it to book trade and library publications such as "Kirkus Reviews" and "Booklist", which examined it only by the entertainment-oriented criteria of children's fiction. However, more penetrating specialist reviews (such as one by "Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices", which pointed out the complexity, depth and consistency of the world that Rowling had built) attracted the attention of reviewers in major newspapers. Although "The Boston Globe" and Michael Winerip in "The New York Times" complained that the final chapters were the weakest part of the book, they and most other American reviewers gave glowing praise.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | U.S. publication and reception
In July 2007, a dispute arose between "Harry Potter"'s British publisher, Bloomsbury, and Asda, a British supermarket chain owned by the US corporation Wal-Mart. On 15 July, a week before the release of the final "Harry Potter" novel, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", Asda issued a press release accusing Bloomsbury of unfairly fixing their prices. Asda spokesman Peter Pritchard claimed that Bloomsbury was "holding children to ransom" and that, "[i]t seems like Bloomsbury need to do a quid-ditch as they have sent their prices up north on the Hogwarts Express. By setting the recommended retail price at this level can only be seen as blatant profiteering on their part." Pritchard went on to say that Asda was acting to "champion the right of young readers", and that the recommended retail price was "twice the average child's pocket money and £5 more than the average children's bestseller".
Legal disputes over the Harry Potter series | Accusation of libel
Rowling described him as "epitome of goodness". His right hand is severe Minerva McGonagall, who according to the author "under that gruff exterior" is "a bit of an old softy", the friendly half-giant Rubeus Hagrid, who saved Harry from the Dursley family, and the sinister Severus Snape. Professor Quirrell is also featured in the novel.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | Main characters
When Minister Fudge takes the stance of firmly denying Voldemort's return, the "Prophet" initiates a smear campaign against Dumbledore and Harry, the most influential proponents of the opposing view. After Fudge is forced to admit that Voldemort has returned, the "Prophet" changes its stance overnight, calling Harry "a lone voice of truth". The newspaper even buys, from "The Quibbler", Harry's interview on Voldemort's return and claims it to be exclusive. The editor of "The Daily Prophet" is Barnabas Cuffe, a former pupil of the Potions master Horace Slughorn. It is unclear how long he has been editor of "The Daily Prophet".
Fictional universe of Harry Potter | "The Daily Prophet"
The book was first published in the United Kingdom on 26 June 1997 by Bloomsbury. It was published in the United States the following year by Scholastic Corporation under the title Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. It won most of the British book awards that were judged by children and other awards in the US. The book reached the top of the "New York Times" list of best-selling fiction in August 1999 and stayed near the top of that list for much of 1999 and 2000. It has been translated into at least 73 other languages, and has been made into a feature-length film of the same name, as have all six of its sequels.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | Introduction
The book, which was Rowling's debut novel, was written between approximately June 1990 and some time in 1995. In 1990 Jo Rowling, as she preferred to be known, wanted to move with her boyfriend to a flat in Manchester and in her words, "One weekend after flat hunting, I took the train back to London on my own and the idea for Harry Potter fell into my head... A scrawny, little, black-haired, bespectacled boy became more and more of a wizard to me... I began to write "Philosopher's Stone" that very evening. Although, the first couple of pages look nothing like the finished product." Then Rowling's mother died and, to cope with her pain, Rowling transferred her own anguish to the orphan Harry.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | Development
In a 2001 interview with publisher Scholastic, Rowling stated that she chose the subject of magical creatures because it was a fun topic for which she had already developed much information in earlier books. Rowling's name did not appear on the cover of the first edition, the work being credited under the pen name "Newt Scamander", who, in the books, wrote this textbook as seen on Harry's supply list for his first year. The book benefits the BBC affiliated charity Comic Relief. Over 80% of the cover price of each book sold goes directly to poor children in various places around the world.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them | Introduction
So he's left with this lightning-bolt shaped scar on his forehead, and the curse rebounded upon the evil wizard who has been in hiding ever since". As a result, Harry is written as an orphan living with his only remaining family, the Dursleys, who are neglectful and abusive. On his eleventh birthday in 1991, Harry learns he is a wizard when Rubeus Hagrid arrives to tell him that he is to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There he learns about the wizarding world, his parents, and his connection to the Dark Lord. When he is sorted into Gryffindor House, he becomes fast friends with classmates Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, finds mentors in his professor Minerva McGonagall and headmaster Albus Dumbledore and foils Voldemort's attempt to steal the Philosopher's Stone.
Harry Potter (character) | "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone"
"Publishers Weekly"'s report in December 2001 on cumulative sales of children's fiction placed "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" 19th among hardbacks (over 5 million copies) and 7th among paperbacks (over 6.6 million copies).
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | U.S. publication and reception
"Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" was published in the UK on 2 July 1998 and in the US on 2 June 1999. It immediately took first place in UK bestseller lists, displacing popular authors such as John Grisham, Tom Clancy, and Terry Pratchett and making Rowling the first author to win the British Book Awards Children's Book of the Year for two years in succession. In June 1999, it went straight to the top of three US bestseller lists, including in "The New York Times". First edition printings had several errors, which were fixed in subsequent reprints. Initially, Dumbledore said Voldemort was the last remaining ancestor of Salazar Slytherin instead of his descendant.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | Publication
The Dutch courts ruled that the books did not constitute parody and thus were not allowed to be sold in the Netherlands. Later that year, as the Dutch translation "Tanja Grotter en de magische contrabas" was still legal in Belgium, the Flemish publishers Roularta Books decided to print 1,000 copies (and no more) in order to let people decide whether it was plagiarism, hoping that under those circumstances Rowling and her publishers would not sue. Rowling did not sue, but as there was a lot of interest in the book (Dutch people could buy the book by postal order from another Flemish publisher, Boekhandel VanIn) it was soon sold out.
Legal disputes over the Harry Potter series | International publications
Hermione's knack for logic later enables the trio to solve a puzzle that is essential to retrieving the Philosopher's Stone, and she defeats the constrictive Devil's Snare plant by summoning a jet of "bluebell flame". Hermione is the brains behind the plan to enter the place where the Stone is hidden. She responds to Harry's wariness of Professor Severus Snape and is also suspicious of him. She reveals to Harry and Ron that she does a lot of research in the library, which helped her defeat the Devil's Snare and work out the logic of the potions. Rowling said on her website that she resisted her editor's requests to remove the troll scene, stating "Hermione is so very arrogant and annoying in the early part of "Philosopher's Stone" that I really felt it needed something (literally) huge to bring her together with Harry and Ron."
Hermione Granger | "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone"
Bloomsbury invested £10 million in an attempt to keep the book's contents secure until 21 July, the release date. Arthur Levine, US editor of the "Harry Potter" series, denied distributing any copies of "Deathly Hallows" in advance for press review, but two US papers published early reviews anyway. There was speculation that some shops would break the embargo and distribute copies of the book early, as the penalty imposed for previous instalments—that the distributor would not be supplied with any further copies of the series—would no longer be a deterrent.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows | Spoiler embargo
Eva Ibbotson's "The Secret of Platform 13" (first published in 1994) features a gateway to a magical world located in King's Cross station in London. The protagonist belongs to the magical world but is raised in the normal world by a rich family who neglect him and treat him as a servant, while their fat and unpleasant biological son is pampered and spoiled. Amanda Craig is a journalist who has written about the similarities: "Ibbotson would seem to have at least as good a case for claiming plagiarism as the American author currently suing J. K. Rowling [i.e. Nancy Stouffer], but unlike her, Ibbotson says she would 'like to shake her by the hand.
Harry Potter influences and analogues | "The Secret of Platform 13"
Rowling imagined him as a "scrawny, black-haired, bespectacled boy who didn't know he was a wizard", and says she transferred part of her pain about losing her mother to him. During the book, Harry makes two close friends, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger. Ron is described by Rowling as the ultimate best friend, "always there when you need him". Rowling has described Hermione as a "very logical, upright and good" character with "a lot of insecurity and a great fear of failure beneath her swottiness". Rowling also imagined a supporting cast of adults. The headmaster of Hogwarts is the powerful, but kind wizard Albus Dumbledore, who becomes Harry's confidant.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | Main characters
In 2003, the novel was listed at number 22 on the BBC's survey The Big Read.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | Publication and reception in the United Kingdom
In 1894, Frederick Warne retired from active management of the Bedford Street publishing firm bearing his name in London and ceded control to his three sons, Harold, Fruing, and Norman, before his death in 1905. Harold was a managing partner, Fruing was responsible for sales, and Norman for production and some sales. Norman's brothers were both married men, but when the 35-year-old Potter met him in 1901 he was a 33-year-old bachelor living with his widowed mother and his unmarried sister Amelia ("Millie") in the family house in Bedford Square, Bloomsbury. Potter almost always dealt with Norman during negotiations for the publication of "Peter Rabbit" and their terms of address had evolved from "Sir" and "Madam" to "Mr.
Norman Warne | Career and relationship with Beatrix Potter
In 2005, a man was sentenced to four years in prison after firing a replica gun at a journalist during a staged deal for stolen copies of an unreleased "Harry Potter" novel, and attempting to blackmail the publisher with threats of releasing secrets from the book. Then in 2007 Bloomsbury Publishing contemplated legal action against the supermarket chain Asda for libel after the company accused them of overpricing the final "Harry Potter" novel, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows".
Legal disputes over the Harry Potter series | Introduction
In 1991, the author Jane Yolen released a book called "Wizard's Hall", to which the Harry Potter series bears a resemblance. The main protagonist, Henry (also called Thornmallow), is a young boy who joins a magical school for young wizards. At the school "he must fulfill an ancient prophecy and help overthrow a powerful, evil wizard." However, Yolen has stated that "I'm pretty sure she never read my book," attributing similarities to commonly-used fantasy tropes. In an interview with the magazine "Newsweek", Yolen said, "I always tell people that if Ms. Rowling would like to cut me a very large check, I would cash it." Yolen stopped reading "Harry Potter" after the third book, and has expressed dislike for the writing style of "Harry Potter", calling it "fantasy fast food".
Harry Potter influences and analogues | "Wizard's Hall"
That's why I established some sort of reputation without making any money." In 1946 paper was still rationed; the firm used Garnett's ex-serviceman's ration, but as only one ex-serviceman's ration could be used per firm it could not use that of Hart-Davis. However, the firm was given the allocation at cost of a Glasgow bookseller and occasional prewar publisher, Alan Jackson. The partners decided to start initially with reprints of dead authors, as if a new book became a best-seller the firm would not have paper for a reprint and the author might leave. They made an exception for Stephen Potter's "Gamesmanship" which was a short book, collected every ream of paper they could buy and printed 25,000 copies.
Rupert Hart-Davis | Independent publisher
Allen & Unwin is also co-sponsor and publisher of the annual Australian/Vogel Literary Award. The Allen & Unwin head office is in Sydney and the company also publishes out of offices in Melbourne, Auckland, and London. Allen & Unwin also represents a number of leading independent British publishers in the Australian and New Zealand markets. These include Bloomsbury, Faber & Faber, Profile Books and Serpent's Tail, Atlantic and Corvus, Granta and Portobello, Canongate, Nicholas Brealey, Icon, and Nosy Crow. Allen & Unwin distributes the Harry Potter series of books in Australia and New Zealand under the Bloomsbury imprint.
Allen &amp; Unwin | Allen & Unwin in Australia
In the build-up to the book's release, Scholastic released seven questions that fans would find answered in the final book: J. K. Rowling arranged with her publishers for a poster bearing the face of the missing British child Madeleine McCann to be made available to book sellers when "Deathly Hallows" was launched on 21 July 2007, and said that she hoped that the posters would be displayed prominently in shops all over the world.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows | Marketing and promotion
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a novel by J. K. Rowling. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone may also refer to:
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (disambiguation) | Introduction
Rowling was hesitant to sell the rights because she "didn't want to give them control over the rest of the story" by selling the rights to the characters, which would have enabled Warner Bros. to make non-author-written sequels. Although Steven Spielberg initially negotiated to direct the film, he declined the offer. Spielberg reportedly wanted the adaptation to be an animated film, with American actor Haley Joel Osment to provide Harry Potter's voice, or a film that incorporated elements from subsequent books as well. Spielberg contended that, in his opinion, it was like "shooting ducks in a barrel. It's just a slam dunk.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film) | Development
The books have been the subject of a number of legal proceedings, stemming from various conflicts over copyright and trademark infringements. The popularity and high market value of the series has led Rowling, her publishers, and film distributor Warner Bros. to take legal measures to protect their copyright, which have included banning the sale of "Harry Potter" imitations, targeting the owners of websites over the "Harry Potter" domain name, and suing author Nancy Stouffer to counter her accusations that Rowling had plagiarised her work. Various religious fundamentalists have claimed that the books promote witchcraft and religions such as Wicca and are therefore unsuitable for children, while a number of critics have criticised the books for promoting various political agendas.
Harry Potter | Controversies
On 31 October 2007, Warner Bros. and Rowling sued RDR Books to block the book's publication. Rowling, who previously had a good relationship with Vander Ark, reiterated on her website that she plans to write a "Harry Potter" encyclopedia, and that the publication of a similar book before her own would hurt the proceeds of the official encyclopedia, which she plans to give to charity. A judge later barred publication of the book in any form until the case was resolved. In their suit, Rowling's lawyers also asserted that, as the book describes itself as a print facsimile of the Harry Potter Lexicon website, it would publish excerpts from the novels and stills from the films without offering sufficient "transformative" material to be considered a separate work.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. v. RDR Books | Pre-trial
Rubeus Hagrid, a mysterious giant, leaves an orphaned Harry Potter, whose parents were murdered by the evil Lord Voldemort, on the front door step of his bullying relatives, The Dursleys. For ten years, Harry has lived with the Dursleys, not knowing that he is a wizard, and famous in the wizarding world for being the only one to survive the attacks of Voldemort, whose name no one dares to say. Harry receives a letter inviting him to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and is told who he really is. After buying his school supplies, at Diagon Alley, he boards the Hogwarts Express on platform 9¾ with the other students.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game) | Plot
She was working as a bookshop assistant in Southampton when "Whispering to Witches" was picked up by Bloomsbury Publishing, publisher of the Harry Potter books. The book was reprinted several times and was distributed in 12 countries.
Anna Dale | Career
Asda, along with several other UK supermarkets, having already taken pre-orders for the book at a heavily discounted price, sparked a price war two days before the book's launch by announcing they would sell it for just £5 a copy. Other retail chains then also offered the book at discounted prices. At these prices the book became a loss leader. This caused uproar from traditional UK booksellers who argued they had no hope of competing in those conditions. Independent shops protested loudest, but even Waterstone's, the UK's largest dedicated chain bookstore, could not compete with the supermarket price. Some small bookstores hit back by buying their stock from the supermarkets rather than their wholesalers.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows | Price wars and other controversies
Thomas Henry Taylor (born 22 May 1973) is a British children's writer and illustrator. He studied at Anglia Ruskin University. He painted the cover art for the first edition of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone". Due to the number of questions regarding the identity of the wizard illustrated on the back cover of the first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, and thanks to the contribution of an Argentine named Alfonso Ferrer in Taylor's blog, in February 2016, he decided to name him Robertus Tallis. He attended the Norwich School of Art and Design. Then he spent three years at art school in Cambridge.
Thomas Taylor (artist) | Introduction
To achieve his objective, Voldemort uses Professor Quirrell's aid by latching onto the back of the latter's head. However, at the climax of the book, Harry manages to prevent Voldemort from stealing the stone.
Lord Voldemort | "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone"
Bloomsbury countered with a statement of its own, saying that "This claim is without merit and will be defended vigorously," and that Rowling "had never heard of Adrian Jacobs nor seen, read or heard of his book "Willy the Wizard" until this claim was first made in 2004, almost seven years after the publication of the first "Harry Potter" book." The Jacobs estate, driven by his son and grandson, have published a website with details and excerpts from the book, according to the "Toronto Star". In July 2010, the estate filed suit against Rowling's American publisher, Scholastic, demanding that the company burn all copies of "Goblet of Fire".
Legal disputes over the Harry Potter series | Adrian Jacobs
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The main story arc concerns Harry's struggle against Lord Voldemort, a dark wizard who intends to become immortal, overthrow the wizard governing body known as the Ministry of Magic and subjugate all wizards and Muggles (non-magical people). Since the release of the first novel, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone", on 26 June 1997, the books have found immense popularity, positive reviews and commercial success worldwide.
Harry Potter | Introduction
Yudkowsky wrote an introduction exclusively for the Russian printing. The book was compiled by Lin Lobaryov, the former lead editor of "Mir Fantastiki" magazine. Extra books will be sent to libraries and presented to school Science Olympiad winners. After the success of the crowdfunding project, Russian publishing house Eksmo asked Rowling's agents for permission to publish HPMOR in Russia officially, but Rowling has refused use of fanfics of her Wizarding World for commercial purposes.
Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality | Printing in Russia
The story begins with Beatrix Potter nervously packing her portfolio and narrating that she is a London spinster, and that her ambition to become a children's author meets with wide disapproval. She and her chaperone, Miss Wiggin, visit the publishing house of Harold and Fruing Warne, who decide to publish her "The Tale of Peter Rabbit". Beatrix is thrilled and returns home, taking a drive through the parks to celebrate. However, it is revealed the Warne brothers think her book is ridiculous and will no doubt be a failure. The only reason they agreed to publish it is because they promised their younger brother, Norman, a project.
Miss Potter | Plot
Cunningham began working at Penguin in 1977 and held the position of marketing director in 1989. He later joined Bloomsbury where he initiated Bloomsbury Children’s Books. While in this position he signed J.K Rowling and published "Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone". In 2000, Cunningham left Bloomsbury to start The Chicken House, a publisher of children’s fiction that specializes in new writers. Barry also published the books of "New York Times" bestselling author Cornelia Funke. In 2010, Cunningham received an OBE in recognition of his contribution to children’s literature.
Barry Cunningham (publisher) | Career in publishing
Warner Bros. bought the film rights to the book in 1999 for a reported £1 million ($1.65 million). Production began in the United Kingdom in 2000, with Chris Columbus being chosen to create the film from a shortlist of directors that included Steven Spielberg and Rob Reiner. Rowling insisted that the entire cast be British, with the three leads chosen in August 2000 following open casting calls. The film was shot at Leavesden Film Studios and historic buildings around the United Kingdom, from September 2000 to March 2001. The film was released to cinemas in the United Kingdom and United States on 16 November 2001.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film) | Introduction
In 1997, producer David Heyman searched for a children's book that could be adapted into a well-received film. He had planned to produce Diana Wynne Jones' novel "The Ogre Downstairs", but his plans fell through. His staff at Heyday Films then suggested "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone", which his assistant believed was "a cool idea." Heyman pitched the idea to Warner Bros. and in 1999, Rowling sold the company the rights to the first four "Harry Potter" books for a reported £1million. A demand Rowling made was for Heyman to keep the cast strictly British and Irish; the latter's case has Richard Harris as Dumbledore and Fiona Shaw as Petunia Dursley, and not to cast foreign actors unless absolutely necessary, like casting of French and Eastern European actors in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" where characters from the book are specified as such.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film) | Development
Warner Bros. took particular notice of Rowling's wishes and thoughts about the films when drafting her contract. One of her principal stipulations was that they are shot in Britain with an all-British cast, which has been generally adhered to. On 8 August 2000, the virtually unknown Daniel Radcliffe and newcomers Rupert Grint and Emma Watson were selected to play Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger respectively. Chris Columbus was hired to direct the film adaptation of "Philosopher's Stone," with Steve Kloves selected to write the screenplay. Filming began on 29 September 2000 at Leavesden Film Studios and concluded on 23 March 2001, with final work being done in July.
Wizarding World | "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" (2001)
In the film, Harry, Hermione and Ron receive detention after Malfoy catches them in Hagrid's hut after hours; Malfoy then receives detention as well for being out of bed. The Quidditch pitch is altered from a traditional stadium to an open field circled by spectator towers. The book's timeline is not enforced in the film. In the book, Harry's eleventh birthday is in 1991. However, on the film set for 4 Privet Drive, Dudley's certificates from primary school bear the year 2001.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film) | Differences from the book
In the final chapter, Dumbledore suggests that because Harry's father James had saved Snape's life when they were both students, even though the two detested each other, Snape felt responsible for Harry in return. As the final book reveals, this is not the full story. In any case, even after Quirrell's true role is revealed, Harry retains feelings of suspicion and resentment towards Snape, and their relationship remains tense. Snape's behaviour and attitude towards Harry also remain unchanged.
Severus Snape | "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone"
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" is the sixth book in the Harry Potter series. The first book in the series, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone", was first published by Bloomsbury in 1997, with an initial print-run of 500 copies in hardback, 300 of which were distributed to libraries. By the end of 1997, the UK edition won a National Book Award and a gold medal in the 9- to 11-year-olds category of the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize. The second book, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets", was originally published in the UK on 2 July 1998 and in the US on 2 June 1999.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince | Franchise
After taking Harry to Diagon Alley to buy his supplies for Hogwarts and a pet owl named Hedwig as a birthday present, Hagrid informs him of his past: Harry's parents James and Lily Potter died due to a Killing Curse at the hands of the malevolent and all-powerful wizard: Lord Voldemort. Harry, the only survivor in the chaos, thus becomes well-known in the wizarding world as "The Boy Who Lived". Harry enters the King's Cross station to board a train to Hogwarts, where he meets three other students: Ron Weasley, whom he quickly befriends; Hermione Granger, an intelligent witch born to Muggle parents; and Draco Malfoy, a boy from a wealthy wizarding family, with whom he immediately forms a rivalry.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film) | Plot
Before the arrival of J. K. Rowling, Britain's bestselling author was comic fantasy writer Terry Pratchett. His "Discworld" books, beginning with "The Colour of Magic" in 1983, satirise and parody common fantasy literature conventions. Pratchett was repeatedly asked if he "got" his idea for his magic college, the Unseen University, from "Harry Potter" Hogwarts, or if the young wizard Ponder Stibbons, who has dark hair and glasses, was inspired by Harry Potter. Both in fact predate Rowling's work by several years; Pratchett jokingly claimed that he did steal them, though "I of course used a time machine." The BBC and other British news agencies emphasised a supposed rivalry between Pratchett and Rowling, but Pratchett said on record that, while he did not put Rowling on a pedestal, he did not consider her a bad writer, nor did he envy her success.
Harry Potter influences and analogues | "Discworld"
Rowling's "Harry Potter" books in 2010.
Raincoast Books | Raincoast Publishing
Steve Kloves was selected to write the screenplay. He described adapting the book as "tough", as it did not "lend itself to adaptation as well as the next two books." Kloves often received synopses of books proposed as film adaptations from Warner Bros., which he "almost never read", but "Harry Potter" jumped out at him. He went out and bought the book, and became an instant fan of the series. When speaking to Warner Bros., he stated that the film had to be British, and had to be true to the characters. Kloves was nervous when he first met Rowling as he did not want her to think he was going to "[destroy] her baby." Rowling admitted that she "was really ready to hate this Steve Kloves," but recalled her initial meeting with him: "The first time I met him, he said to me, 'You know who my favourite character is?' And I thought, You're gonna say Ron.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film) | Development
MuggleNet once benefitted from friendly relations with J.K. Rowling, the author of the "Harry Potter" books, and the producers of the films. She has praised MuggleNet on her website and has awarded it her Fan Site Award. Rowling recounts on her website that she occasionally visits the site and sometimes reads the comments left by visitors although never comments herself. The author also stated that she visited the site's chat room and was snubbed when she anonymously joined in a conversation about "Harry Potter" theories. In July 2005, Rowling invited Spartz and Melissa Anelli, of The Leaky Cauldron, to Edinburgh, Scotland, for an interview at her home on the release of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince".
MuggleNet | Author and corporate relations
but not use it". The right person would receive it, as anybody else would only see themselves using the Stone due to the Mirror's special magic. He is called out to the Ministry of Magic by a false message on the night when Harry, his classmates Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, and Hogwarts professor Quirinius Quirrell enter the dungeons to retrieve the Stone, but realises during the trip that he is needed at Hogwarts and returns in time to rescue Harry from Quirrell and Voldemort. He also has a final conversation with Harry after the events down in the dungeons and tells him that he is too young to understand why Voldemort is trying to kill him.
Albus Dumbledore | "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone"
Harry Potter has been living a difficult life, constantly abused by his surly and cold aunt and uncle, Vernon and Petunia Dursley and bullied by their spoiled son Dudley since the death of his parents ten years prior. His life changes on the day of his eleventh birthday when he receives a letter of acceptance into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, delivered by a half-giant named Rubeus Hagrid after previous letters had been destroyed by Vernon and Petunia. Hagrid details Harry's past as the son of James and Lily Potter, who were a wizard and witch respectively, and how they were murdered by the most evil and powerful dark wizard of all time, Lord Voldemort, which resulted in the one-year-old Harry being sent to live with his aunt and uncle.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | Plot
Bloomsbury Publishing plc (formerly M.B.N.1 Limited and Bloomsbury Publishing Company Limited) is a British worldwide publishing house of fiction and non-fiction. It is a constituent of the FTSE SmallCap Index. Bloomsbury's head office is located in Bloomsbury, an area of the London Borough of Camden. It has a US publishing office located in New York City, an India publishing office in New Delhi, an Australia sales office in Sydney CBD and other publishing offices in the UK including at Oxford. The company's growth over the past two decades is primarily attributable to the "Harry Potter" series by J. K. Rowling and, from 2008, to the development of its academic and professional publishing division.
Bloomsbury Publishing | Introduction
On 1 November 2010, they released the 10th anniversary Signature edition illustrated by Clare Mellinsky and in July 2013 a new adult cover illustrated by Andrew Davidson, both these editions were designed by Webb & Webb Design Limited. Beginning on 27 August 2013, Scholastic will release new covers for the paperback editions of "Harry Potter" in the United States to celebrate 15 years of the series. The covers were designed by the author and illustrator Kazu Kibuishi.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | Editions
Stouffer appealed the decision in 2004, but in 2005 the Second Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the ruling. In 2006 she stated on her website that she was planning to republish her books and was entertaining the possibility of another lawsuit against Warner Bros., J. K. Rowling and Scholastic Press. "The Legend of Rah and the Muggles" is out of print. In early 2001, it was published by Thurman House, LLC, a Maryland publishing company. Thurman House, formed by Ottenheimer Publishers to republish the works of Nancy Stouffer, was closed when Ottenheimer ceased operations in 2002 after filing for bankruptcy.
Legal disputes over the Harry Potter series | Nancy Stouffer
Rowling found it difficult to finish "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" because she was afraid it would not live up to the expectations raised by "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone". After delivering the manuscript to Bloomsbury on schedule, she took it back for six weeks of revision. In early drafts of the book, the ghost Nearly Headless Nick sang a self-composed song explaining his condition and the circumstances of his unknown death. This was cut because the book's editor did not care for the poem, which has been subsequently published as an extra on J. K. Rowling's official website.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | Development
De Harmonie is a Dutch publishing company best known today as the publisher of the Harry Potter series of books since the 1990s, though their largest success didn't come until the 2000s and since 14 February 2008 they are located on Herengracht in Amsterdam. The company was founded in 1972 by Jaco Groot and his wife Elisabeth, and publishes 30-40 new titles per year, mostly visually-oriented material such as illustrated children's books, comics and art books, but also poetry and prose. Choices whom to publish are still made by the founders, though from an attic room on the Singel they have come a long way since Harry Potter.
Uitgeverij De Harmonie | Introduction
Harry, Ron and Hermione set out to stop Snape from retrieving the Philosopher's Stone by putting the three-headed dog to sleep with music and going through the trapdoor. The three face a series of obstacles that protect the stone which includes surviving a deadly plant, catching a flying key, playing a life-sized game of Wizards Chess and choosing the correct potion to get through a magical fire. Harry, now alone, expects to face Snape but instead finds Professor Quirrell, the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Quirrell removes his turban and reveals that Voldemort was living on the back of his head.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game) | Plot
In 1998, Rowling sold the film rights of the first four "Harry Potter" books to Warner Bros. for a reported £1 million ($1,982,900). Rowling demanded the principal cast be kept strictly British, nonetheless allowing for the inclusion of Irish actors such as the late Richard Harris as Dumbledore, and for casting of French and Eastern European actors in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" where characters from the book are specified as such. After many directors including Steven Spielberg, Terry Gilliam, Jonathan Demme, and Alan Parker were considered, Chris Columbus was appointed on 28 March 2000 as the director for "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" (titled ""Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"" in the United States), with Warner Bros.
Harry Potter | Films
Speculation intensified with the July 2005 publication of "Half-Blood Prince" and the detailed post-publication interview given by Rowling to Mugglenet and The Leaky Cauldron. Notably, DumbledoreIsNotDead.com sought to understand the events of the sixth book in a different way. (Rowling later confirmed, however – on 2 August 2006 – that Dumbledore was, in fact, dead, humorously apologising to the website as she did so.) A collection of essays, "Who Killed Albus Dumbledore?: What Really Happened in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince? Six Expert Harry Potter Detectives Examine the Evidence", was published by Zossima Press in November 2006. Contributors included the Christian author John Granger and Joyce Odell of Red Hen Publications, whose own website contains numerous essays on the Potterverse and fandom itself.
Harry Potter fandom | Discussion
In "Order of the Phoenix", Hermione blackmails Rita Skeeter into writing an article about Harry's encounter with Voldemort. The interview is published by Xenophilius, and he later sells it to the "Daily Prophet" for a good price (enough to finance an expedition to Sweden to hunt for the Crumple-Horned Snorkack). In "Deathly Hallows", Xenophilius continues to support Harry in his magazine until his daughter Luna gets kidnapped to silence him. Harry, Ron, and Hermione visit Xenophilius for information but discover that the latest issue features an anti-Harry story on the cover. Following Voldemort's ultimate defeat, the "Quibbler" goes back to its condition of advanced lunacy and becomes popular, still being appreciated for its unintentional humour.
Fictional universe of Harry Potter | "The Quibbler"
Anelli's work at The Leaky Cauldron was voluntary. During the day, she worked to support herself. In 2001, Anelli began working at MTV Networks' Pages Online, a magazine for the entertainment industry. By 2004, she had become a full-time reporter for the "Staten Island Advance". Anelli is now a freelance journalist based in New York City. Her first book, "Harry, A History", was released in early November 2008 and debuted at #18 on the "New York Times" Best Seller List. It tells the story of the "Harry Potter" phenomenon through a superfan's eyes. "Harry Potter" author J. K. Rowling wrote the foreword.
Melissa Anelli | Career
By mid-2008, official translations of the book had been published in 67 languages. By November 2017, the book had been translated into 80 languages, the 80th being Lowland Scots. Bloomsbury have published translations in Latin and in Ancient Greek, with the latter being described as "one of the most important pieces of Ancient Greek prose written in many centuries".
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | Translations
Other members of staff include the dumpy Herbology teacher and Head of Hufflepuff House Professor Sprout, Professor Flitwick, the tiny and excitable Charms teacher, and Head of Ravenclaw House, the soporific History of Magic teacher, Professor Binns, a ghost who does not seem to have noticed his own death; and Madam Hooch, the Quidditch coach, who is strict, but a considerate and methodical teacher. The poltergeist Peeves wanders around the castle causing trouble wherever he can. In the book, Rowling introduces an eclectic cast of characters. The first character to be introduced is Vernon Dursley, Harry's uncle. Most of the actions centre on the eponymous hero Harry Potter, an orphan who escapes his miserable childhood with the Dursley family.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | Main characters
An illustrated version of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" was released on October 6, 2015, with illustrations by Jim Kay. The book carries over 100 illustrations and will be followed by illustrated versions of all seven books from the series by the same artist.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | Illustrated version
On 31 July 2008, it was announced "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" would also be made available for the public, in both standard and collector's editions. The book was published by Children's High Level Group and printed and distributed by Bloomsbury, Scholastic, and Amazon.com. The decision was taken due to disappointment among "Harry Potter" fans after it had initially been announced a wide public release was not intended. Similarly to "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" and "Quidditch Through the Ages" (two other books mentioned in the "Harry Potter" novels that have also been printed) the standard and collector's editions of "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" feature commentary and footnotes from Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts and one of the main characters of the series.
The Tales of Beedle the Bard | Public editions
In 2003, legal pressure from "Harry Potter"'s publishers led an Indian publisher to stop publication of "Harry Potter in Calcutta" by Uttam Ghosh; a work in which Harry meets figures from Bengali literature. The case was settled out of court. Also in 2003, courts in the Netherlands prevented the distribution of a Dutch translation of "Tanya Grotter and the Magical Double Bass", the first of Dmitri Yemets' popular Russian series about a female apprentice wizard. Rowling and her publishers sued, arguing that the Grotter books violate copyright law. Yemets and his original Moscow-based publishers, Eksmo, argued that the books constitute a parody, permitted under copyright.
Legal disputes over the Harry Potter series | International publications
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a fantasy book written by British author J. K. Rowling and the fourth novel in the "Harry Potter" series. It follows Harry Potter, a wizard in his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and the mystery surrounding the entry of Harry's name into the Triwizard Tournament, in which he is forced to compete. The book was published in the United Kingdom by Bloomsbury and in the United States by Scholastic. In both countries, the release date was 8 July 2000. This was the first time a book in the series was published in both countries at the same time.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire | Introduction
Late one night, Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall, professors at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, along with the school's groundskeeper Rubeus Hagrid, deliver a recently orphaned infant named Harry Potter to his only remaining relatives, the Dursleys. Ten years later, Harry has been battling a disjointing life with the Dursleys. After inadvertently causing an accident during a family trip to the zoo, Harry begins receiving unsolicited letters by owls. After he and the Dursleys escape to an island to avoid more letters, Hagrid re-appears and informs Harry that he is a wizard and has been accepted into Hogwarts against the Dursleys' wishes.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film) | Plot
Voldemort makes his debut in "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone". In this story, Rowling introduces him as the Dark Lord who tried to kill Harry Potter because the boy was prophesied to destroy him. Voldemort murdered Harry's parents, James and Lily, but as a result of his mother's love and willingness to sacrifice herself for him, baby Harry survived when Voldemort tried to murder him with a Killing Curse. Voldemort was disembodied, and Harry was left with a mysterious, lightning bolt-shaped scar on his forehead as a result. In the book, Voldemort unsuccessfully tries to regain his dissolved body by stealing the titular Philosopher's Stone.
Lord Voldemort | "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone"
Warne" and "Miss Potter" by the time a contract was signed in 1902. In October 1902, "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" was published and Potter became a frequent visitor to Warne's offices at the same time. She arrived in the Potter carriage with the elderly family cook Elizabeth Harper (or other servant as chaperone) or her fellow illustrator and friend Gertrude Woodward. Potter and Warne were never alone in each other's company. Potter's letters reveal a friendship was developing between the author and her editor-publisher as they discussed possibilities for future tales ("Squirrel Nutkin" and "Mr. Jeremy Fisher" in particular) and the complexities of the printing process.
Norman Warne | Career and relationship with Beatrix Potter
A year later, the US edition was selected as an American Library Association Notable Book, a "Publishers Weekly" Best Book of 1998, and a New York Public Library 1998 Best Book of the Year, and won "Parenting Magazine"'s Book of the Year Award for 1998, the School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, and the American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults. In August 1999, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" topped the "New York Times" list of best-selling fiction, and stayed near the top of the list for much of 1999 and 2000, until the "New York Times" split its list into children's and adult sections under pressure from other publishers who were eager to see their books given higher placings.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | U.S. publication and reception
Harry Potter is an orphaned boy brought up by his unkind Muggle (non-magical) aunt and uncle. At the age of eleven, half-giant Rubeus Hagrid informs him that he is actually a wizard and that his parents were murdered by an evil wizard named Lord Voldemort. Voldemort also attempted to kill one-year-old Harry on the same night, but his killing curse mysteriously rebounded and reduced him to a weak and helpless form. Harry became extremely famous in the Wizarding World as a result. Harry begins his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and learns about magic. During the year, Harry and his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger become entangled in the mystery of the Philosopher's Stone which is being kept within the school.
Harry Potter (film series) | "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" (2001)
Derek Deadman plays Tom, innkeeper of The Leaky Cauldron; and Elizabeth Spriggs appears as the Fat Lady, a painting at Hogwarts.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film) | Cast