Who knew a manuscript that had been rejected multiple times would actually take the world by storm? On June 26, 1997, J.K. Rowling’s first installment of the Harry Potter series – Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – got published and eventually became a worldwide phenomenon.
As the would-be best-selling author narrates it, the book details the life of Harry Potter, a young wizard who finds out about his wondrous background and makes friends, and some foes, during his freshman year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Together with his pals, Ron Weasely and Hermione Granger, they stop the evil Lord Voldemort from returning to the magical universe.
Rowling finished the book in 1995, but she faced a mountain of struggles before its publication materialized. She was a first-timer, after all. Most publishers thought it would only appeal to a few readers, given that the story was set in a boarding school. In 1996, fortunately, a small British-based publishing company, Bloomsbury, approved Rowling’s book.
The book has now sold more than 450 million copies globally and has been translated into 73 different languages. It is now the best selling book in history, and yes, J.K. Rowling is recorded as the first billionaire author in the world. Its massive success didn’t end there as it got a film adaptation, which is currently the second highest-grossing movie series in history.
Indeed, the Harry Potter series shaped the realm of literary fiction. Rowling herself has been a huge inspiration to aspiring writers and dreamers to not give up on reaching the stars. From an unemployed single mom who barely made ends meet, she is now among the best-selling authors and is someone the world looks up to.
The Boy Who Lived still lives with us and his universe continues to expand through mobile games like Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, as well as the online website, Pottermore.