A book about a young wizard was first published in the United Kingdom in June 1997. That same year, Harry Potter won the British “Book of the Year” award and the Smarties Prize.
Renamed Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the book was released in the United States in 1998.
The second novel in the series, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, was published in the UK in July 1998 and in the US in June 1999.
The third book, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, appeared in the UK in July 1999 and in the US in September of the same year.
In 1999, J. K. Rowling’s novels became a worldwide literary sensation when the first three Harry Potter books occupied the top three positions on The New York Times bestseller list.
By the summer of 2000, more than 35 million copies had been sold in 35 languages, with an estimated value of 480 million dollars. In July of the same year, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire sold 5.3 million copies on its first day, including 1.8 million pre-orders.
Following this success, Rowling planned to write a total of seven books, each describing one year of Harry Potter’s life at the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The film adaptation of the first book premiered in November 2001. The producer was Chris Columbus, also known for directing Home Alone and Mrs. Doubtfire.
In 2003, the next novel, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, was published and later adapted into a film in 2007.
The following book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, was released in 2005 and sold approximately 6.9 million copies within the first few days.
The seventh and final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was published in 2007.
In the summer of 2011, Rowling announced that digital editions of the series would be sold online through Pottermore.com, which fully launched in October 2011.
The Harry Potter series became a new star of children’s literature. While Rowling’s books have faced criticism—particularly from some Christian conservatives concerned about themes of witchcraft—the story has millions of devoted fans worldwide.
The most striking proof of its success is that J. K. Rowling became the first author in history whose personal fortune exceeded one billion dollars.