Harry Potter

Harry Potter is a name that is most likely recognised by the majority of people in the world, yet he is a fictional character. The entire book series of Harry Potter is the highest-selling in the world and the films were equally successful. 

Harry Potter is the brainchild of British author, J. K. Rowling. Whilst sitting on a train to London, her wizardry world started to come to life. Over the following years, she used every moment she could to write her very first Harry Potter novel: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Sorcerer’s Stone), which was published in 1997. The novel series continued with a further six books; The Chamber of Secrets, the Prisoner of Azkaban, the Goblet of Fire, the Order of the Phoenix, the Half-Blood Prince and the Deathly Hallows , 

The protagonist is, of course, Harry Potter himself; an orphan who turns out to be a wizard. He’s invited to attend the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he forms friendships with two other characters, Hermoine Granger and Ron Weasley. All three, under the wing of the school headmaster Albus Dumbledore, learn how to master their skills. The young wizards work together to fight “the bad guys”, primarily Voldemort. 

The series of novels was a huge success around the world. It has been translated into 60 different languages and can be bought in almost every country in the world. And it didn’t stop there…

Based on the success of J.K.Rowling’s novels, she sold the film rights to the stories to Warner Bros, who released a series of eight films over a period of 10 years. Harry Potter was played by Daniel Radcliffe, Hermoine Granger by Emma Watson and Ron Weasley by Rupert Grint. All three started as child actors in the series and became global stars following the success of the blockbuster films. These films are amongst the highest-grossing films of all time.

The Harry Potter wizardry world didn’t stop at books and films, nor did J.K.Rowling’s creativity in expanding the wizardry universe. She went on to write accompanying texts; Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (also a film), Quidditch Through the Ages and The Tales of Beedle the Bard. There is a play to follow on from the novels, The Cursed Child, showing in theatres in London, you can visit the Warner Bros Studio in the outskirts of London and there are numerous worlds and rides at the Universal Studios amusement parks across the word. 

*Why not learn English with Harry Potter?

Despite it being a challenging and long-term objective, you could use Harry Potter to improve your English. Read the books, watch the films, visit the theatre production