Happy Birthday
25 years ago today, JK’s f irst magical book was published. Now, the boy wizard’s life in numbers makes for spellbinding reading
WITH his trademark round glasses and a distinctive lightning bolt scar on his forehead, he is one of the most recognisable characters in the world.
Since he was first introduced to the reading public exactly 25 years today, boy wizard Harry Potter has become a literary sensation – and so much more.
JK Rowling’s first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, was published on June 26, 1997, documenting the spellbinding life and times of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Since then, Harry Potter’s adventures have become a globespanning, multi-billion pound industry, spanning books, films, merchandise, toys, games, visitor attractions and even theme parks.
To celebrate Harry’s birthday, The Scottish Mail on Sunday looks at the Potter world by numbers...
12
Number of rejection letters JK Rowling received before Bloomsbury offered her a deal. Asked how she kept motivated in the face of rejection, the author, who was a single mother struggling to pay her bills when she wrote the books, later said: ‘I had nothing to lose and sometimes that makes you brave enough to try.’
25
Years since Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was published, the story of a boy who learns on his 11th birthday that he is the orphaned son of two powerful wizards, possesses magical powers of his own and becomes a student at Hogwarts.
500
Copies in the first print run of the Philosopher’s Stone. Only 500 were issued in hardback, of which 300 were sent to libraries, leaving 200 as potential collectible editions.
471,000
US dollars paid (around £383,000) for a mint condition first edition of the Philosopher’s Stone which was sold in the United States in 2021 – a world record price for a 20th Century work of fiction.
7
Books in the original series of novels. Ms Rowling later revealed the entire Potter universe came to her in a daydream while she was sitting on a train – and by the time she got off, ‘I knew it was going to be a seven-book series.’ 11
Sequels and related Potter books written by JK Rowling since the original series ended. These include the 2016 book Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which takes place 19 years after the events of the final book in the original series, as well as Fantastic Beasts And Where to Find Them.
80
Languages into which the Harry Potter series has been translated, including Scots, Welsh, Azerbaijani and Malayalam, as well as Latin and Ancient Greek. Other adaptations reflect regional dialects such as the American English edition.
766
Pages in the UK edition of 2007’s Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, making it the longest in the series. Curiously, it is the second-shortest film at a relatively brief two hours and 18 minutes.
500
Number in millions of copies of the Harry Potter novels sold worldwide, with 180 million in America alone. The Philosopher’s Stone remains the top seller, although the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, holds the record as the fastest-selling book of fiction ever published.
Films of the original books, released between 2001 and 2011. The final instalment, The Deathly Hallows, was split into two movies.
1,169
Minutes which would be needed to watch all of the films back to back without breaks. The longest film is Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, which has a running time of 161 minutes.
9
Billions of US dollars raked in by box office sales of the Harry Potter films and the Fantastic Beasts spin-offs. Having already coined in $9,198,243,071 (around £7.4 billion), the current film, Fantastic Beasts: The Secret of Dumbledore, is expected to push takings beyond $10billion.
1
Estimated net worth of JK Rowling in billions of US dollars. She was named as the world’s highest paid author by Forbes in 2008, 2017 and 2019, although it has been claimed that she has sacrificed her billionaire status by making generous donations to charities.
93.5
Amount in millions of pounds earned by actor Daniel Radcliffe, who was a 12year-old schoolboy when he was picked to play Harry Potter. He was approached after appearing in a BBC TV version of Charles Dickens’s David Copperfield. He later said: ‘Every opportunity I will get for the rest of my life I wouldn’t have got if it wasn’t for Harry Potter. It would be the height of ingratitude if I was ever anything but proud to be associated with these films.’
9¾
Platform number at London’s King’s Cross Station from which wizards leave to go to Hogwarts. They need to run into a wall before magically appearing on a secret platform to catch the Hogwarts Express.
7
Owls used in the films as Harry’s pet, Hedwig, who was a gift from Hagrid. Hedwig delivered Harry’s mail but was also a close companion. The various white owls used to play her were called Oops, Swoops, Oh Oh, Gizmo, Kasper, Bandit and Elmo.
2
The number in millions of tourists who take the Warner Bros Studio Tour – The Making of Harry Potter in Watford each year, around 6,000 a day. Potter fans can see props, costumes, interactive installations, artworks and large-scale designs.
94
The number in millions of Potter fans who have visited the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida, since it opened in 2010. Every detail – including rides, logos, products and voiceovers – has to be approved by Warner Bros and JK Rowling.
20
Millions of bottles of ‘butterbeer’ sold in US theme parks. Based on the supposed favourite tipple of wizards, the non-alcoholic drink is made from brown sugar and butter syrup, topped with cream soda and ice cream.