J.K. Rowling has taken to Twitter to share her feelings with Harry Potter's dedicated fan base as the world celebrates the milestone anniversary of the first hardback print run of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, published 20 years ago on Monday. "20 years ago today a world that I had lived in alone was suddenly open to others. It's been wonderful. Thank you. #HarryPotter20," the celebrity author wrote. The tweet, which has over 350,000 likes and 160,000 retweets, received a rapturous response from Harry Potter fans, with many thanking the famously modest author.
"You've given our imagination a far better place to live," wrote one user, whilst another added: "You gave the world a priceless gift - thank you." One even chose to give a political and comedic slant to things, writing: "Slytherins are taking away our healthcare and Voldemort blocked us on Twitter. What would Harry do?"
QUIZ: How much of a Harry Potter fan are you?
The author, 51, finished writing the first Harry Potter book in 1995, writing in Edinburgh cafes while her toddler from her first marriage, now 23-year-old Jessica Arantes, slept in a pram. The first hardback print run, which took place on 26 June 1997, was just 500 copies. More than 450 million copies have now been sold in 79 languages, and last year, a professor at the London School of Economics claimed that the entire Harry Potter franchise was worth more than £4bn to the UK economy.
Fans praised J.K. Rowling for her creativity
Thanks poured in from the cast of the Harry Potter films, with Daniel Radcliffe, who portrays protagonist Harry, sharing a video to Instagram of the many films throughout the years. "Until the very end #HarryPotter20," the actor wrote. Bonnie Wright, who plays Harry's love interest Ginny Weasley in the films, also wrote on Instagram: "She had a vision. Congratulations Jo #HarryPotter20."
