Twenty years ago, J.K. Rowling published the first Harry Potter book. The seven book series went on to inspire a whole generation of children. On Monday, Rowling marked the "wonderful" anniversary online.
"Twenty years ago today, a world that I had lived in alone was suddenly open to others. It's been wonderful. Thank you," she wrote on Twitter.
Twitter ran a special "#HarryPotter20" hashtag. Whenever a user posted the hashtag, the website added a pair of rounded glasses and a lightning bolt. The feature was a nod to Harry Potter and his zigzag scar, who emerged from a cupboard under the stairs to become the world's most famous wizard.
1,000 Copies Of The First Book Were Printed
Joanne Kathleen Rowling had struggled through poverty before winning a publishing deal with Bloomsbury. The British publisher printed 1,000 copies of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone."
The seven books in the series have since been translated into 79 languages. They have also sold more than 450 million copies worldwide. Readers lucky enough to have bought a first edition of "Philosopher's Stone" have a collector's book worth thousands.
"Harry Potter has had a huge impact on a generation of children, who became so obsessed with reading that they would queue for hours to get their hands on the next book," said Diana Gerald, the head of the Book Trust, a charity which encourages youngsters to read.
Events to mark the magical tale include a special exhibition at the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh. The Scottish city is where Rowling wrote much of the first novel.
Harry Potter's Huge Impact On Children
Kimberley Best was only 4 years old when the first book was published. Still, she was "obsessed" with Rowling's magical world.
"My life is heavily influenced by it. It just brought me out of a bad time so it's actually very important that I come and see it," she said. She was referring to a "Philosopher's Stone" first edition on display that was filled with notes by Rowling.
Curator Graeme Hawley said the book was on loan from a private collector. It was being used for the library's "party" to mark the hugely important event in the book world. The Harry Potter series has had a far reach in modern culture and has changed children's publishing completely.
Britain Planning Other Anniversary Events
Bloomsbury has published four anniversary editions of the first Potter book in red, blue, green and yellow. The colors represent the different houses at Hogwarts, where Harry and his wizard friends go to school. Around the rest of Britain, students took quizzes and did Potter-themed crafts.
On Monday, St Paul's Cathedral in London published a video. It featured music from the Harry Potter film series being performed at the famous site.
The excitement over Harry Potter has been named "Pottermania" and over the past two decades, it has led to eight movies, a hit play and numerous spin-off books.
In October a "Harry Potter: A History of Magic" exhibition will open at the British Library in London, showcasing manuscripts and magical objects alongside Rowling's archives.
The Harry Potter empire has earned Rowling $825 million, according to The Sunday Times newspaper's 2017 Rich List. Rowling is a committed philanthropist and gives a great deal of money to charity.
© Agence France-Presse, 2017. It is expressly forbidden for Subscribers located in France or Japan to use this AFP text article for any purpose whatsoever, including for personal use.
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