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Dates and Facts about Harry Potter

November 14, 2001

Harry Potter is is even in the Encyclopaedia Britannica....

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The Harry Potter saga is a success story: The Harry Potter books have already sold more than 110 million copies. They have been translated into 47 languages. In fact they are so popular that a first edition of the first book would now be worth around 23,000 Euro.

The fourth, and latest book, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire", came out in July 2000. It sold 350,000 copies in the UK on its first day - the fastest-selling book in history.

The characters

Each book follows the main character, Harry Potter, and his friends at Hogwarts School of Wizardry. Besides Harry, the book also revolves around his friends red-haired Ron Weasley and the rather swotty Hermione. Not to forget of course the Dursleys, the family Harry stays with in the school holidays.

There have been four so far. Seven books are planned. At current, the author is working on the fifth Harry Potter book, "The Order of the Phoenix". It is due out in July 2002.

Joanne Rowling says she will only write about Harry Potter as long as he is in school education.

The author

Author Joanne Rowling was a school teacher when the idea for Harry came to her on a train in 1990. It took her five years to write the first book. Rowling lives in Edinburgh with her daughter, Jessica.

The film

The first Harry Potter film, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone", was out in the UK on November 16, and will be out in Germany on November 22. The first Harry Potter film was made by american director Chris Columbus.

The film is based on the first book and follows Harry who discovers that he is not the muggle – or non-wizard – he thought himself to be, and so starts his magical education Hogwart, the school for scorcery.

Eleven-year-old Daniel Radcliffe, from London, plays the main character – a role which will most probably make him one of the most famous young boys in the world. There have been rumours that his voice had to be synchronised later in the film due to the boy's voice breaking.

World popularity

It is difficult to say exactly how many Harry Potter fans there are. But the books are just as popular in China as in Europe or the US. Potter is even in the Encyclopaedia Britannica.