Bloomsbury released J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books in the United Kingdom.
Bloomsbury acquired the manuscript of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and published it in 1997. The company continued as the British publisher for the original seven-book series, turning a relatively small first print run into one of the most commercially successful publishing programmes in modern history.
The publisher’s decision to take on the manuscript followed interest from editor Barry Cunningham and his young daughter, who read the opening chapters and wanted to know what happened next. Bloomsbury also accepted the recommendation to use the initials J.K. Rowling on the cover.
International editions were handled by other publishers. Scholastic published the United States editions, where the first book was retitled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. That difference often leads readers to remember the American publisher or title when the question is specifically about the United Kingdom.