What was the first Harry Potter novel called in its original UK edition?

The first Harry Potter novel was called Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in its original UK edition.

Bloomsbury published the book in the United Kingdom on 26 June 1997. It introduced Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and the central conflict with Lord Voldemort.

For the American edition, Scholastic changed the title to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The change was made because the publisher believed “sorcerer” would be more immediately understandable and appealing to American children. The story itself remained essentially the same, although some vocabulary was adjusted for American readers.

The phrase “philosopher’s stone” refers to a legendary substance associated with alchemy, traditionally said to transform ordinary metals into gold and help create an elixir of life. Using the UK title is important because it identifies the novel’s original publication name rather than its American-market variant.