The first Harry Potter book was written in the early 1990s and published in 1997.

Quick Scoop: When was Harry Potter written?

  • J.K. Rowling began writing Harry Potter around June 1990, after the idea “fell into her head” during a delayed train journey from Manchester to London.
  • She worked on the manuscript for several years, completing the first book sometime between 1990 and 1995.
  • The first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone , was then published in the UK on 26 June 1997 by Bloomsbury.
  • It was published later in the US on 1 September 1998 under the title Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

So if you’re wondering “when was Harry Potter written,” the writing period is roughly 1990–1995, with the iconic first publication date in 1997.

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