Which J.K. Rowling book introduced the character Newt Scamander?

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them introduced the character Newt Scamander.

The 2001 companion book is presented as a Hogwarts textbook written by Newt Scamander. It catalogs magical creatures and includes annotations attributed to Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. Rowling wrote it as a charity publication for Comic Relief, alongside Quidditch Through the Ages.

Newt originally appeared as the fictional textbook’s author rather than as a central figure in the seven Harry Potter novels. He later became the protagonist of the Fantastic Beasts film series, beginning with the 2016 film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Eddie Redmayne portrayed Newt in those films.

The book and the film series are therefore related but not identical. The short companion volume is a bestiary with a Hogwarts-schoolbook framing device, while the films expand Newt’s life and adventures into a larger story set decades before Harry attends Hogwarts.