What was the original British title of the first Harry Potter novel?

The original British title of the first Harry Potter novel was Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

Bloomsbury published the book in the United Kingdom in 1997. When Scholastic prepared the American edition, the title was changed to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The alteration reflected concerns that some American readers might not immediately understand “philosopher’s stone,” the traditional name for a legendary substance associated with alchemy.

The plot and characters are substantially the same in both editions, but some wording was also adjusted for American usage. For example, “mum” became “mom” in places. The title difference is therefore a publishing and localization issue, not a separate story.

The philosopher’s stone itself is a mythical alchemical substance traditionally said to transform base metals into gold and help create an elixir of life. In Rowling’s novel, Nicolas Flamel is connected to the stone, and its powers become central to the first book’s mystery. Readers sometimes treat the American title as the original, but the British title came first.