COULD IT BE MAGIC? MARION McMULLEN LOOKS AT 20 YEARS OF HARRY POTTER AND HOGWARTS
1 WHO CAST THE FIRST SPELL?
IT IS 20 years ago since JK Rowling’s Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone was first published and introduced readers to Harry, Ron and Hermione. The book came out on June 26, 1997, and told the story of the boy wizard’s first term at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
2 WHO HAD WIZARD FUN?
A FIRST edition, annotated by JK Rowling with 22 of her own illustrations, was sold at a charity auction in 2013 for £150,000. The Philosopher’s Stone has since been called the nation’s favourite children’s book.
3 WHAT’S IN A NAME?
FANS descended on Greyfriars Kirkyard in Edinburgh a few years ago to visit the 19th century grave of Thomas Riddell – the real name of Harry Potter’s nemesis Lord Voldemort. The real-life Thomas Riddle died in 1806 at the age of 72 and his grave is near by the last resting place of poet William Topaz McGonagall. He is said to have inspired the name of Hogwarts teacher Professor McGonagall.
4 IS IT SPELLBINDING?
THE Harry Potter books have been successful around the world. They have sold more than 500 million copies, been translated into 77 languages, been turned into movies and theme parks, and inspired a West End show.
5 COULD IT BE MAGIC?
THE book was rejected by several publishers before it was printed by Bloomsbury and an American book deal followed in 1998. JK Rowling wrote most of the book in a cafe while living on benefits in a small flat in Edinburgh. Only 500 copies of the book were first published. Bloomsbury brought out a deluxe illustrated edition of The Philosopher’s Stone in 2015.
6 TIME FOR SOME MOVIE MAGIC?
THE first of the successful movies inspired by the novels came out in 2001 and was also known as Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone. The Platform 9¾ scenes were filmed at King’s Cross Station in London. The interior of Gringotts Bank was filmed at Australia House at the Stand.
7 DOES SHE HAVE THE WRITE STUFF?
JK ROWLING herself specially handpicked actor Alan Rickman to play Snape and it is said she based the character of young witch Hermione on herself. Horror writer Stephen King has reviewed all of her books for the New York Times Review of Books.
8 AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT?
JK ROWLING is a Monty Python fan. John Cleese appears in the Harry Potter films and sweets like chocolate frog and cockroach cluster are mentioned in both the books and are apparently a reference to the Python Crunchy Frog sketch.
9 IS SUCCESS A MATTER OF DEGREE?
SHE received an honorary degree from Edinburgh University in 2004 in recognition of the Potter books and her outstanding contribution to children’s literature. She revealed on her website that she was considered for the part of Harry Potter’s mother, Lily, during the Mirror of Erised scene in the first movie, but turned down the role and the role went to Geraldine Somerville instead. J K Rowling insisted that the main actors in the movie should be British.
10 WHO HAS THE LAST WORD?
JK Rowling once said: “I had an American journalist say to me, “Is it true you wrote the whole of the first novel on napkins?” I was tempted to say, “On teabags, I used to save them.”