J.K. Rowling published Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in 1997.
Bloomsbury released the first British edition on 26 June 1997. It introduced eleven-year-old Harry Potter, who discovers that he is a wizard and begins his education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The book’s publication followed a difficult period for Rowling, who had been developing the idea of Harry and writing parts of the manuscript while living in Portugal and later Edinburgh. Its early success grew through word of mouth, reviews, and children’s book awards.
The American edition appeared in 1998 with the title Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. That title difference can make the publication year seem confusing, but both versions belong to the same debut novel.