Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone: Illustrated Edition (Harry Potter, 1)

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J.K. Rowling has received many awards and honours for her writing. She also supports a number of causes through her charitable trust Volant and is the founder of the children’s charity Lumos. For as long as she can remember, J.K. Rowling has wanted to be a writer, and is at her happiest in a room, making things up. She lives in Scotland with her family. At school, Jo would entertain her friends at lunchtime with stories. ‘I used to tell my equally quiet and studious friends long serial stories at lunchtimes.’ In these stories, Jo and her friends would be heroic and daring. Bloomsbury is a leading independent publishing house. The children’s division publishes books for children and young adults in print, eBook and audio. It publishes across preschool, picture books, fiction and non-fiction. Its award-winning, diverse list includes authors such as J.K. Rowling, Benjamin Zephaniah, Katherine Rundell, Neil Gaiman, Renée Watson and Sarah J. Maas, and illustrators such as Chris Riddell, Emily Gravett, Rikin Parekh, Kate Pankhurst, Jim Kay and Tom Percival. For more information go to www.bloomsbury.com When she was 25, Jo started writing a third novel (‘I abandoned the first two when I realised how bad they were’). A year later, she went to Portugal to teach English, which she really enjoyed. Working afternoons and evenings, she had mornings free to write. The new novel was about a boy who was a wizard. After school, Jo attended the University of Exeter in Devon where she studied French. Her parents hoped that by studying languages, she would enjoy a great career as a bilingual secretary. But as Jo recalls, ‘I am one of the most disorganised people in the world and, as I later proved, the worst secretary ever.’ She claims that she never paid much attention in meetings because she was too busy scribbling down ideas. ‘This is a problem when you are supposed to be taking the minutes of the meeting,’ she says.

HARRY POTTER: Illustrated Editions: Books: Bloomsbury HARRY POTTER: Illustrated Editions: Books: Bloomsbury

Stunning … Greenaway Medal winner Kay breathes incredible life into these much loved characters and locations, staying faithful to Rowling's vision but revitalising the story for a new generation Kay's illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a triumph – a book so alive it seems to jump, explode and slither out of your hands as you readJ. K. (Jo) Rowling was born in Chipping Sodbury in the UK in 1965. Such a funny-sounding name for a birthplace may have contributed to her talent for collecting odd names. When she returned to the UK, Jo had a suitcase full of stories about Harry Potter. She moved to Edinburgh with her young daughter and worked as a French teacher. She also set herself a target: she would finish the ‘Harry’ novel and get it published. In 1996, one year after finishing the book, Bloomsbury bought Jo’s first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

HARRY POTTER: Books: Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) HARRY POTTER: Books: Bloomsbury Publishing (UK)

When a letter arrives for unhappy but ordinary Harry Potter, a decade-old secret is revealed to him that apparently he’s the last to know. His parents were wizards, killed by a Dark Lord’s curse when Harry was just a baby, and which he somehow survived. Leaving his unsympathetic aunt and uncle for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry stumbles upon a sinister mystery when he finds a three-headed dog guarding a room on the third floor. Then he hears of a missing stone with astonishing powers, which could be valuable, dangerous – or both. An incredible adventure is about to begin! A date for the next Illustrated Edition has yet to be announced, but do sign up to our newsletter here to hear the latest news. As she got older, Jo kept writing but she never showed what she had written to anyone, except for some of her funny stories that featured her friends as heroines. When Bloomsbury Children’s Books published the first Illustrated Edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in 2015, readers were instantly mesmerised by Kay’s magical and rich evocation of the Boy Who Lived. J.K. Rowling said at the time, ‘seeing Jim Kay’s illustrations moved me profoundly. I love his interpretation of Harry Potter’s world, and I feel honoured and grateful that he has lent his talent to it.’ The series established itself as an acclaimed international hit, with fans eagerly awaiting each new instalment.It is stunning … with full-colour illustrations throughout from Greenaway Medal winner Kay, who breathes incredible life into these much loved characters and locations, staying faithful to Rowling's vision but revitalising the story for a new generation Each Harry Potter Illustrated Edition represents a huge and unique creative endeavour to bring to life the magic of J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world. Bloomsbury is exploring exciting new directions in illustration for the last two stories in the series. Seeing Jim Kay's illustrations moved me profoundly. I love his interpretation of Harry Potter's world, and I feel honoured and grateful that he has lent his talent to it Harry Potter Illustrated Editions: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Illustrated Edition) Award-winning team Picture the magic with these dazzling, full-colour illustrated editions of the Harry Potter series (featuring complete and unabridged text).