As you may have gathered, Taylor isn’t exactly a “fan” of Harry Potter. He thought the books were excellent, of course, but the whole experience was somewhat scarring. Thomas Taylor’s original 1997 cover, and, below, some of the many editions of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. To help their young new recruit with his cover, Bloomsbury sent Taylor a printout of the manuscript to read, complete with scribbled editors’ notes and underlines. He read it on the train, becoming one of the first people in the world to come across words such as “Quidditch”, “Hogwarts” and “Gryffindor”, and to meet the boy whose image he would be bringing to life. The cover, designed by Thomas Taylor, for the 25th anniversary edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone And then off I went,” says Taylor. It sounded simple, but it wasn’t. “In the early sketches, you couldn’t see Harry properly because he’s walking towards the train, but the train had to be seen,” he explains, scratching the ears of his rescue dog Alpha.

However, Grint nearly found himself out of a job when Rowling almost killed him off part-way through the franchise. She later explained how she considered a grisly end for the teen wizard out of sheer spite when she was in a dark place personally. With these anniversary editions and the long-awaited release of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, 2022 is set to be an exciting year for Potterfans, and there is more yet to come. In the early days, after I finished working on it, I would take the script to a safety deposit box at Coutts bank. Eventually, Bloomsbury bought me the biggest safe that Banham could supply. It was so heavy we needed extra floor support upstairs, but at least I could go out. Greasy-haired Draco Malfoy was one of the later roles to be cast, with actor Tom Felton initially auditioning for the roles of Ron and nemesis Harry. The ultimate Harry Potter gift and a must for any bookshelf, this once-in-a-generation collector’s edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone will take you on the magical journey of a lifetime …In the video, we meet fans such as Ben, who learnt to ‘accept yourself, love yourself’ from the books. Charlotte talks about her dyslexia growing up but says that Harry Potter helped her get through it. “That book opened up a relationship for me with literature. I will forever be grateful for the accessibility the Harry Potter books offered me,” she says. There are currently no plans for J.K. Rowling to sign copies of the book. For more details of events happening to celebrate the 25th anniversary, please sign up to our newsletter, where we will announce news as and when details are confirmed. World Book Day also turns 25 in 2022, and it is partnering with Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone for a “double celebration” on World Book Day (March 3). More will be revealed about this intriguing event in the new year. Plus, there is “more to come in [a]utumn 2022, with more magical Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone activity to be announced.” And there’s more to come in [a]utumn 2022, with more magical Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone activity to be announced. Harry’s best friend, Ron Weasley, was played by flame-haired actor Rupert Grint, who secured his part by recording a self-penned rap about his suitability for the role.

Galloping gargoyles! 2022 is the silver anniversary of J.K. Rowling's magical classic Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone ! Newton: If you are publisher that is what you live for - to change the world by getting people to read your books. And the Harry Potter books are more popular than ever. People are able to remember being a child in bed at night reading the book. And that’s really quite magical in itself. So I am very proud of that Thomas Taylor THURSDAY 3rd FEBRUARY 2022 sees the launch of Miles of Magic: Reading Challenge. Created by the National Literacy Trust in partnership with Bloomsbury Children’s Books, this is a fun and exciting seven week reading for pleasure campaign, helping to bring the magic of reading to life for children, as part of the 25th anniversary celebrations of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling, first published in the UK in 1997. Harry Potter lives in the cupboard under the stairs at his uncle and aunt's house at number four, Privet Drive until the day when a mysterious letter arrives from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and a giant on a flying motorcycle arrives to change his life with four simple words- 'Harry yer a wizard.'It's time to PASS THE MAGIC ON for the 25th anniversary of Harry Potter's first adventure – with brand new children's editions of the classic and internationally bestselling series Just as Rubeus Hagrid was the one to get the story started, the actor that played him, Robbie Coltrane, was the first to be cast in the film series. After its first publication in 1997, the illustration of Harry Potter with his lightning bolt scar, standing next to the Hogwarts Express on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, would go on to become one of the most iconic book covers of the twentieth century, offering a tantalising first glimpse of J.K. Rowling’s endlessly spellbinding wizarding world.

Due to popular demand, we are releasing this edition on 9th June 2022 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the first publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. He’ll be famous – a legend – I wouldn’t be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter Day in the future – there will be books written about Harry – every child in our world will know his name!” (SS ch. 1)Details to be confirmed! We will announce on social media as soon as we have more information to share, or sign-up to our Harry Potter newsletter. This glorious, Sunday Times bestselling collector's edition of J.K. Rowling's classic first story will take you on the magical journey of a lifetime. De la Hey: I left Bloomsbury after book seven. After Jo’s all-night signing for Deathly Hallows, I went to stay with friends for the weekend. As I hadn’t been allowed to read the manuscript, I obsessively read the book the whole time – I didn’t talk to anyone. Harry Potter completely dominated my life for 10 years. People are able to remember being a child in bed at night reading the book. And that’s really quite magical in itself. So I am very proud of that.” If you’re wondering why Taylor had to keep working in a bookshop after designing the cover of a multi-million-selling book, it’s because the job “was pretty poorly paid initially”. The contract was later re-drawn so he got a bit more money, “but it doesn’t really generate income”, he says. He doesn’t get royalties? “No, the contract licenses it for a one-off fee… But I can’t complain,” he adds brightly. “You don’t normally make money out of a book cover.”

In celebration of 25 years of Harry Potter magic, Bloomsbury is proud to be releasing a special commemorative edition of the original story, with a wealth of special features and celebratory bonus content guaranteed to delight brand-new readers and long-time fans alike: It’s how it feels to me. That old-fashioned steam train. Those yellow stars in the smoke. The look of wonder on Harry’s face. Maybe it’s because this is the first Harry Potter I ever saw, but to me the cover is full of magic. Inspired, we also decided to take a little trip down memory lane and asked our followers for some of their memories too. We just simply can’t have enough of your stories! In celebration of 25 years of Harry Potter magic, Bloomsbury is proud to be releasing a special commemorative edition of the original story, with a wealth of special features and celebratory bonus content guaranteed to delight brand-new readers and long-time fans alike-The Harry Potter series has been responsible for inspiring and engaging young readers here and around the world for twenty-five years,” says President of Scholastic Trade, Ellie Berger. From midnight parties to Muggle Walls, we’ve seen firsthand the excitement and the power of J.K. Rowling’s brilliant storytelling, with themes of friendship and family, all still relevant today. Here’s to the next twenty-five years of reading magic!” Online and in bookstores everywhere except the US and Philippines (Scholastic are the publishers of Harry Potter for these territories). A glorious silver anniversary edition of J.K. Rowling's classic first story, featuring the original 1997 front cover illustration by Thomas Taylor and exciting bonus material to celebrate 25 years of Harry Potter magic On June 26, 1997, the world changed with the release of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.After 25 years of magic, we are celebrating the book’s silver anniversary.Later to be titled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in the United States, Philosopher’s Stone introduced readers to a world of magic, friendship, and love. Harry Potter lives in the cupboard under the stairs at his uncle and aunt's house at number four, Privet Drive – until the day when a mysterious letter arrives from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and a giant on a flying motorcycle arrives to change his life with four simple words: 'Harry – yer a wizard.'