The first printing of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Bloomsbury, 26 June 1997) had a hardback run of only 500 copies, of which 300 were sent to libraries.
Publisher
Bloomsbury Children's Books
Bloomsbury Children's Books is the children's imprint of London publisher Bloomsbury, started by Barry Cunningham, which first published Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in 1997.
- Editions tracked
- 24
- First editions
- 14
- Books
- 22
- Years
- 2000 to 2023
Bloomsbury Children's Books is a publisher active from 2000. We track 24 editions it published between 2000 and 2023, 14 of them first editions across 22 books. How Bloomsbury Children's Books marked its first editions is set out below, with a checker for the year on your title page.
About Bloomsbury Children's Books
Bloomsbury Children's Books is the children's and young adult imprint of the London publisher Bloomsbury, and the house that first published J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in 1997.
Bloomsbury itself was founded in London in 1986 by Nigel Newton. Its children's list was started by Barry Cunningham, who came to Bloomsbury from Penguin, where he had been marketing director for Puffin. Twelve publishers had rejected Rowling's first novel before Bloomsbury signed it, and it appeared on 26 June 1997 in a first hardback printing of only 500 copies, 300 of them for libraries. A 2018 report found that much of the children's division's profit came from the Harry Potter books. Cunningham left in 2000 and founded Chicken House the same year.
Bloomsbury opened a New York arm, Bloomsbury USA, in 1998 and added Bloomsbury USA Books for Young Readers in 2002. Later children's authors on the Bloomsbury list include Renée Watson, whose Piecing Me Together was named a Newbery Honor Book.
Holding a copy? The first edition checker shows Bloomsbury Children's Books's practice for the year on your title page.
Identification
How to identify Bloomsbury Children's Books first editions
Authors
Series
Books
Published by Bloomsbury Children's Books
Frequently asked questions
How do I identify a Bloomsbury Children's Books first edition?
The first printing of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Bloomsbury, 26 June 1997) had a hardback run of only 500 copies, of which 300 were sent to libraries.
How many Bloomsbury Children's Books books does MyVolumes track?
We track 24 editions published by Bloomsbury Children's Books, 14 of them first editions, across 22 books.
Where these facts come from
- Bloomsbury Publishing, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- Barry Cunningham (publisher), Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- J.K. Rowling's editor at Bloomsbury told her she would never make money out of children's books, Silicon Canals (siliconcanals.com)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 19 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.