Born in 1997 in the United Kingdom, this literary saga has marked the history of publishing, but also that of cinema with its very successful adaptations.
In the history of books, certain works have left a real mark, selling numerous copies. If two religious works, the Bible and the Koran, rank at the top of sales worldwide, certain novels have also enjoyed worldwide success – like this French novel, which can be read by young and old alike. A literary saga alone has become a real phenomenon! Chances are you’ve already read it.
Which literary saga is the best-selling in the world?
If we talk to you about a little wizard, only one image surely comes to mind: that of Harry Potter. And it is indeed the famous little wizard invented by JK Rowling who has established itself as the best-selling literary saga in history! The first volume of the saga composed of 7 books, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – translated Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – was released on June 26, 1997, in London. It was then released in France by Gallimard Jeunesse on October 9, 1998.
crédit photo : Shutterstock Harry Potter, the most lucrative literary saga in history.
As a reminder, in this first volume, we follow young Harry Potter, then eleven years old. Orphaned, the boy is raised by his uncle and aunt – who make no secret of the fact that they hate him. Until the day when a giant, named Hagrid, frees him to take him to Hogwarts, a school of witchcraft in which he has his place. The boy then discovers that his parents were both educated there, and a new world opens up to him. A new world, in which the terrible Lord Voldemort is feared by all wizards.
A few years after the release of the first volume, it was adapted for the cinema by Chris Columbus. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone then revealed the young Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, who have now become international stars. In France, this first opus recorded more than 9,400,000 admissions.
The poster for the Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone film, which revealed Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson.
Harry Potterthe literary saga of all records
In the United Kingdom, the success of this saga was immediate. In just five months, 30,000 copies ofHarry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone were sold. With each release, and this in all the countries of the world marketing the literary series, the enthusiasm was stronger and stronger. The adventures of Harry Potter were then as popular with children as adults – which is quite rare for novels classified as young people.
However, it was at the time of the release of the fourth volume, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Firethat the saga becomes a real phenomenon. Published on July 8, 2000 in London, and November 29, 2000 in Paris, it began to be sold from midnight in certain bookstores, with a real marketing strategy around its release to attract fans.
A few years later, the last volume of the saga, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallowsreleased on July 21, 2007 in London, and October 26, 2007 in Paris, enjoyed unprecedented success. Thus, the seventh volume of the adventures of the little wizard has exceeded the milestone of two million pre-orders on Amazon, a record for a book before its release. It also became the best-selling book in history. In 2018, global sales were estimated at over 500 million copies worldwide, in 140 countries. Harry Potter then far ahead of the saga of Lord of the Ringswritten by JRR Tolkien, whose trilogy has sold 150 million copies.
JK Rowling, first billionaire writer in publishing history
Thanks to this unprecedented success, JK Rowling became the first billionaire writer in the history of publishing. At the time of writing, the British author certainly did not imagine that her saga would become the most lucrative of all time, especially since her manuscript was rejected by a dozen publishing houses before being accepted. by Bloomsbury publishing house. At that time, she was also going through a very difficult period. Unemployed and depressed, she was coming out of a trying separation.
crédit photo : Shutterstock JK Rowling, first writer in the history of publishing to become a billionaire.
Shortly after the release of her first novel, she was designated “woman of the year” par Time Magazinein 1998. She has also been considered one of the most influential people, both in the United Kingdom and around the world. More recently, she has been criticized for her stances on gender identity, considered transphobic by activists and fans of the saga, becoming a controversial figure.
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