Who knew a manuscript that had been rejected multiple times would actually take the world by storm? On June 26, 1997, J.K. Rowling’s first installment of the Harry Potter series – Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – got published and eventually became a worldwide phenomenon.
As the would-be best-selling author narrates it, the book details the life of Harry Potter, a young wizard who finds out about his wondrous background and makes friends, and some foes, during his freshman year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Together with his pals, Ron Weasely and Hermione Granger, they stop the evil Lord Voldemort from returning to the magical universe.
Rowling finished the book in 1995, but she faced a mountain of struggles before its publication materialized. She was a first-timer, after all. Most publishers thought it would only appeal to a few readers, given that the story was set in a boarding school. In 1996, fortunately, a small British-based publishing company, Bloomsbury, approved Rowling’s book.
