More Information & Critical Reviews
J.K. Rowling first had the idea for Harry Potter while delayed on a train travelling from Manchester to London King’s Cross in 1990. Over the next five years, she began to plan out the seven books of the series. She wrote mostly in longhand and amassed a mountain of notes, many of which were on scraps of paper. She arrived in Edinburgh in 1993 with three chapters of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in her suitcase. By now she had a baby daughter, Jessica, but she continued to write in every spare moment she could find. When Joanne had finished the manuscript, she sent the first three chapters to a number of literary agents, one of whom wrote back asking to see the rest of it. She says that it was ‘the best letter I had ever received in my life’. After finishing the first book and whilst training as a teacher, Harry Potter was accepted for publication by Bloomsbury.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone quickly became a bestseller on publication in 1997. The Harry Potter books have since broken many records. In 2007 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows became the fastest-selling book ever, selling 2.65 million in the first 24 hours in the UK. The Harry Potter series is now published in 80 languages, and over 500 million copies have been sold across the world. J.K. Rowling has received many awards and honours, including an OBE for services to children’s literature, France’s Légion d’Honneur, and the Hans Christian Andersen Award.
‘You don’t have to be a wizard or a kid to appreciate the spell cast by Harry Potter.’ USA Today
‘The true hero of this summer’s reading season is likely to be Harry Potter.’ Newsweek
‘A wonderful first novel….Harry is destined for greatness. Much like Roald Dahl, J.K. Rowling has a gift for keeping the emotions, fears and triumphs of her characters on a human scale, even while the supernatural is popping out all over.’ The New York Times Book Review – Michael Winerip
‘Readers are in for a delightful romp with this award-winning debut from a British author who dances in the footsteps of P.L. Travers and Roald Dahl.’ Publisher’s Weekly
‘Spellbinding, enchanting, bewitching stuff’ Mirror
‘Teachers say a chapter can silence the most rowdy of classes’ Guardian
‘One of the greatest literary adventures of modern times’ Sunday Telegraph
‘The Harry Potter stories will join that small group of children’s books which are read and reread into adulthood’ TLS
Recommended age: 12
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