Harry Potter fans mark 20 years since J.K. Rowling's famous book

Twenty years since "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" was first published, inspiring a generation of young readers -- and their parents -- it is hard to imagine Rowling before the seven Harry Potter books.
Picture: SHAUN CURRY/AFP/Getty Images — Twenty years since "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" was first published, inspiring a generation of young readers -- and their parents -- it is hard to imagine Rowling before the seven Harry Potter books. Picture: SHAUN CURRY/AFP/Getty Images

Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone was first published on 26 June, 1997, and has since sold more than 450 million copies worldwide in 79 languages.

It has also led to a major film franchise, a sold-out theatre production and multiple theme parks, as well as a booming memorabilia market.

Author J K Rowling had the idea for the stories about  a young wizard and his friends and teachers at a school  for magic while on a train journey and wrote the first book in a small cafe in Edinburgh.

The Elephant House has since become a tourist attraction for fans of the series.

Rowling’s follow-up to The Philosopher’s Stone, The Chamber of Secrets, was published the following year in 1998, while Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban was published in 1999. They were followed by Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire, The Order Of The Phoenix, The Half-Blood Prince and The Deathly Hallows.

The first film, which propelled stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint to global fame, was released in 2001 and the franchise wrapped up in 2011.

Harry Potter And The Cursed Child, a two-part West End Stage play written by Jack Thorne and based on a story by Rowling, opened on 30 July, 2016.

In honour of the 20-year anniversary, an exhibition celebrating the magic of Harry Potter will open at the British Library on 20 October, while Rowling’s publisher Bloomsbury will release four new editions of the book, one for each house at Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft & Wizardry.

The covers of the four books feature the crest for each house and inside are factfiles, character profiles and illustrations.

The Pottermore, the online home of Harry Potter, recently announced a Wizarding World Book Club, allowing fans to revisit their favourite books and discuss them online.

The Edinburgh Bookshop in the city’s Bruntsfield Place is organising a 20th anniversary party in Morningside’s Christ Church, while dozens of bookshops across the United Kingdom will be holding Harry Potter book quizzes.