# Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

> A 500-copy hardback printing grew through readers, schools and US promotion.

- Owner: J.K. Rowling; Bloomsbury (UK publisher); Scholastic (US publisher)
- Kind: Book
- Sector: Media & publishing
- Seed date: 1997-06-26
- Milestone date: Sep 1999
- Date basis: Documented milestone; not a measured attention peak. Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.
- Spread Score: 38 (Niche, provisional), v1.2
- Mechanics: Underdog, Maker origin, Platform jump, Fandom mobilisation, Controversy

## Summary

Bloomsbury published the first novel in Britain, then Scholastic brought it to the US. Children, teachers and booksellers recommended it alongside paid promotion. US sales reached 3.1 million hardbacks in 1999; audio and film adaptations followed.

## Timeline

- Apr 1997 — Scholastic / Arthur A. Levine (Retail) — Scholastic bought the US publishing rights at auction before the UK book was released.
- 1997-06-26 — Bloomsbury / J.K. Rowling (Retail) — Bloomsbury published the novel with 500 hardbacks and 5,150 paperbacks released simultaneously.
- 1997-06-28 — Lindsey Fraser / The Scotsman (Press) — Lindsey Fraser reviewed the novel in The Scotsman, in what is thought to have been its first published review.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/harry-potter-philosophers-stone

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.” Case HIS-01278. Spread Score v1.2: 38/100. Updated 2026-10-22. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-01278