Original version

BBC World Service News Internet

Witness History

Podcasts

Factual: Life Stories

Factual: History

History as told by the people who were there

History as told by the people who were there.

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service Australasia

BBC World Service Online

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

BBC World Service

BBC World Service South Asia

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

BBC World Service East Asia

Witness History: The man who first published Harry Potter

Documentaries

The Man who Published Harry Potter

11/02/2020 GMT

The man who first published Harry Potter

BBC World Service - Witness History, The man who first published Harry Potter

The man who spotted the potential of the boy wizard books in 1996

In 1996 after many rejections struggling author JK Rowling finds a publisher for her first Harry Potter novel. We hear from the man who spotted the boy wizard's potential.

In 1996, after many rejections, author JK Rowling at last finds a publisher for her first Harry Potter novel. Louise Hidalgo hears from editor, Barry Cunningham, who spotted the boy wizard's potential and helped create a phenomenon that would revolutionise childrens' book publishing, selling more than 450 million copies.

Picture: author JK Rowling holds the sixth and penultimate Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. (Credit: AP)
Audio recording © J.K. Rowling

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Witness History

The man who first published Harry Potter

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC World Service News Internet

About BBC World Service