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Library/Book/Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Grade B19 sourcesHIS-01278

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Book · 1997 · Niche

38Editable slideCertificate

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

First UK cover of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Bloomsbury, 1997), art by Thomas Taylor.
Wikipedia (non-free, fair use)
Full wraparound jacket of the 1997 Bloomsbury first edition.
Sotheby's
A later Bloomsbury edition cover.
J.K. Rowling / Bloomsbury / Scholastic
A 1997 Bloomsbury first-edition copy.
Sotheby's
Audible cover art for the audiobook.
Audible

Spread Score

How it works
ReachNo data yetContagion35Breadth40VelocityNo data yetLongevityNo data yet38

Numbers

Milestone date
Sep 1999
Jun 26 ’97 to Sep 1999
Platforms
4
Started on Retail
Origin
Mixed
Media & publishing

Mechanics

  • Underdog
  • Maker origin
  • Platform jumpPrimary
  • Fandom mobilisation
  • Controversy

How it spread

Trace the origin

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.

Documented milestone; not a measured attention peak. Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.

May ’96Jun ’97Apr ’98Mar ’99OctOct ’00Jan ’03May ’06Dec ’09Mar ’14Jun ’18Dec ’20RetailPressOpen webAudio
RetailPressOpen webAudio

13 more events on this chart

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Timeline (16)

  1. April 1997

    Scholastic / Arthur A. Levine precursor · Apr 1997

    Scholastic bought the US publishing rights at auction before the UK book was released.[1]

    A 1997 Bloomsbury first-edition copy.
    Open the first post ↗

  2. June 1997

    Bloomsbury / J.K. Rowling seed · Jun 26 ’97

    Bloomsbury published the novel with 500 hardbacks and 5,150 paperbacks released simultaneously.[1][2][3]

    Full wraparound jacket of the 1997 Bloomsbury first edition.

  3. Lindsey Fraser / The Scotsman press · Jun 28 ’97

    Lindsey Fraser reviewed the novel in The Scotsman, in what is thought to have been its first published review.[4]

  1. afterlife · By end of 1997

  2. commercial · Sep 1998

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Why it worked

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Origin
Mixed
Sector
Media & publishing
Region
GB
Reported figure
—
Evidence
Grade B

Spread the same way

Book · Retail · 200260

Eragon

Christopher Paolini; Paolini International (self-publisher); Knopf (publisher)

Eragon reached 864,253 reported hardback sales in Knopf’s first publication year.

6M sold

1 / 8

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How the next thing spread, the week it does.