Bloomsbury first signed J.K. Rowling for the Harry Potter series. The London-based publisher released Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in the United Kingdom in 1997.
The manuscript was acquired by editor Barry Cunningham, who worked at Bloomsbury. The initial print run was modest, but the novel quickly attracted attention through strong reviews, word of mouth, and awards for children’s fiction. Its success transformed both Rowling’s career and Bloomsbury’s publishing profile.
Bloomsbury is an independent British publishing house founded in 1986 by Nigel Newton. It later published the remaining Harry Potter novels in the United Kingdom. Scholastic acquired the American publishing rights, which is why U.S. editions carry the different title Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.