J.K. Rowling’s first Harry Potter book appeared in 1997.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was published in the United Kingdom by Bloomsbury on 26 June 1997. It introduced the young wizard, Hogwarts, and the conflict with Lord Voldemort that drives the seven-book sequence.
The book’s success grew through strong reader response and children’s literary awards. It was followed by Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in 1998, beginning a rapid publication run for the main series.
The year is sometimes confused with 1998 because that was when the first American edition appeared. The film adaptation came later, in 2001. Thus 1997 marks the original UK book publication, while 1998 marks the US book edition and 2001 marks the first film’s release.