Renowned author JK Rowling recently shared her memories of the moment she realised that her Harry Potter series had become a global cultural phenomenon. In an interview conducted by DeadlineRowling looked back on the extraordinary journey since the publication of her first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stonein 1997, to the unprecedented success of the series.
The Harry Potter books, which follow the adventures of young wizard Harry Potter and his friends at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, have since sold over 500 million copies worldwide. The series also inspired a blockbuster film series that grossed over $10 billion worldwide.
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Looking back on the early days, Rowling describes the period following the publication of her first book 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 recalls. This milestone marked a significant turning point and catapulted the Harry Potter series to extraordinary fame and recognition.
Rowling also recalled the challenges she faced while writing the first book, a process that took seven years. She admitted that she often struggled with doubts and occasionally put the manuscript aside. “I kept losing hope and putting it aside,” 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 of writing the series is drafting the first Quidditch match, a moment she described as pure joy and where the words seemed to flow effortlessly.
Rowling’s passion for storytelling has been evident since her early years. She remembers being inspired by books such as A very 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 recalls, underscoring her lifelong commitment to the craft.
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