September 1, 1998 marks the 20th Anniversary of the U.S. publication of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and to celebrate the milestone anniversary, Scholastic has released a commemorative video that captures the excitement of readers of all ages and the impact of the iconic series by J.K. Rowling. The video will appear on a billboard in Times Square starting today, but you can also check it out below, right here on The Rock Father™ Magazine!
As part of its year-long 20th anniversary celebration, Scholastic, in partnership with NBC’s TODAY SHOW just announced “20 Years of Magic: The Ultimate Harry Potter Fan Contest,” where fans answer the question: what is your favorite passage from the book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and why? Three grand prize winners and their companions will travel to New York City for a magical weekend to see the Tony Award-winning Broadway play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, go on a guided tour of the Harry Potter: A History of Magic Exhibition at the New-York Historical Society which opens on October 5th, have lunch with Arthur A. Levine, U.S. Publisher of the Harry Potter book series, and more. The winners will appear on NBC’s Today Show in October. For more information and for official rules, click HERE.
2018 has been a year filled with magic with exciting events and new publishing. The Harry Potter U.S. anniversary celebrations began at Universal Studios Wizarding World in January, where Scholastic thrilled fans by revealing a sneak peek of the newly re-imagined Harry Potter cover artwork for the 20thanniversary editions illustrated by Caldecott Medalist and #1 New York Times bestselling author/artist Brian Selznick. In June, the 20th anniversary paperback editions were published to great applause and bestselling success, and were then followed by a collectible boxed set, also designed by Selznick. This summer, 20th anniversary celebratory events took place around the country at bookstores, libraries, as well as fan festivals including San Diego Comic Con. On October 5, 2018, Scholastic will publish Harry Potter: A History of Magic, the companion book to the New-York Historical Society’s exhibition by the same name, which opens this Fall. This year features the publication of J.K. Rowling’s original screenplay for the second Fantastic Beasts movie, “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald”, which will be released simultaneously with the film on November 16. Scholastic also launched an innovative Wizarding World licensed publishing program this year which includes Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts: A Spellbinding Guide to the Films to be released this October.
“For twenty years, the world of Harry Potter has captivated readers of all ages. And for twenty years, we at Scholastic have seen firsthand the incredible impact of the series—from the early support and enthusiasm among booksellers and educators, to kids discovering the story for the very first time, to families and friends lining up to pick up their Harry Potter books at midnight parties, and to the series breaking publishing records. Thanks to the incredible imagination of J.K. Rowling, the magic lives on as we continue to introduce Harry Potter to a new generation of readers,” says Ellie Berger, President, Scholastic Trade.
Scholastic published Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in the U.S. in September 1998 under its Arthur A. Levine Books imprint with an initial print run of 50,000 copies. To date, the Harry Potter series has sold more than 180 million copies in the U.S. alone, and over 500 million copies worldwide. The books are published in over 200 territories in 80 languages and have been made into eight blockbuster films.
