What was the original title of J.K. Rowling’s first novel before its publication?

J.K. Rowling’s first published novel was titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in the United Kingdom.

Rowling completed the manuscript after developing the idea of Harry Potter during a delayed train journey in 1990. Bloomsbury acquired the book, and it was published in Britain in 1997 under the Philosopher’s Stone title.

For the American edition, Scholastic changed the title to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The change is why readers sometimes treat the two titles as separate books, although they refer to the same novel.

The philosopher’s stone is a legendary substance associated with alchemy. In Rowling’s story, it can produce the Elixir of Life and transform metals into gold, making it central to the plot.