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 The impact of Harry Potter grew bigger and bigger. The remaining six books continued the story and as we’re all well aware, paved the way for movies, video games, theme parks, plays, and even quidditch as an official sport in over 30 countries. As of 2018, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone has sold more than 120 million copies worldwide. 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.

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

I would love to pass on the love of books to another generation,” he says. “It took me a long time to discover the joy of reading, and to realise it’s not a chore… I think JK Rowling did that with the Harry Potter books.” 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. I wanted to change the title because I thought it was a bit of a mouthful. But Jo said children love unfamiliar words, so, like all good publishers, I gave way to my author. I did cut a couple of chapters. The Harry Potter fan space has always been a really rich, creative and inclusive space,” he says. “And I’ve always felt that it’s owned by the fans really. I hope as many fans as possible can continue to shape it as they need it to be, and to continue to find what they need from it. I hope they can.” Author and Illustrator Thomas Taylor with dog Alpha at his studio in Bexhill on Sea, Sussex (Photo: David McHugh/Brighton Pictures) 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.

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. 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. 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

Drop in to Diagon Alley: Toys and Collectables

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!” 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.