Renowned author JK Rowling recently shared her memories of the moment she realized that her Harry Potter series had transformed into a global cultural phenomenon. In an interview reported by Deadline, Rowling looked back on the extraordinary journey from the release of her first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, in 1997, to the series’ unprecedented success.
The Harry Potter books, which follow the adventures of a young wizard named Harry Potter and his friends at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, have since sold over 500 million copies around the globe. The series also inspired a blockbuster film franchise, which has grossed over $10 billion worldwide.
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Reflecting on the early days, Rowling described the initial period after her first book’s release as a whirlwind of events, culminating in her winning the Smarties Book Prize in 1997. “Then I got a record advance from America, and everything went crazy,” she recalled. This milestone marked a significant turning point, catapulting the Harry Potter series to extraordinary levels of fame and acclaim.
Rowling also reminisced about the challenges she faced while writing the first book, a process that took her seven years. She admitted that she often struggled with doubt and would occasionally set the manuscript aside. “I kept losing hope and putting it away,” she said. “But that happened less and less as I worked on it. At a certain point, it, or I, caught fire, and I stopped doubting.”
One of her fondest memories from writing the series was crafting the first Quidditch match, a moment she described as pure joy, where the words seemed to flow effortlessly.
Rowling’s passion for storytelling has been evident since her early years. She recalled being inspired by books like Busy, Busy World by Richard Scarry and Black Beauty by Anna Sewell during her childhood. “I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be a writer,” she reflected, underscoring her lifelong commitment to the craft.
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