On 1st September 1998, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was published in the USA by Scholastic.

It rapidly became a phenomenon, as its original editor and publisher Arthur A. Levine remembers in a new video released to celebrate its twentieth anniversary milestone: ‘There was a conversation going on about a single book that seven year-olds and seventy year-olds, and everyone in-between, were actively engaged in.’

The occasion is being marked by the release of a new special edition boxed set of the seven Harry Potter books, redesigned by Caldecott Medallist Brian Selznick.

The boxed set features a close-up colour illustration of Harry on the back, as well as the Hogwarts House crests and their colours on its two ends. This follows the unveiling of Brian’s new designs for the covers of each of the books last month.

And that’s not all the fun. Scholastic, in partnership with NBC’s TODAY just announced ‘20 Years of Magic: The Ultimate Harry Potter Fan Contest' here (note: it's a US-only contest) where you can answer the question: ‘what is your favourite passage from the book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and why?’ Three grand prize winners and their companions will travel to New York City for a magical weekend to see the Tony Award-winning Broadway play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, go on a guided tour of the Harry Potter: A History of Magic exhibition at the New-York Historical Society which opens on October 5th, and even have lunch with Arthur A. Levine. The winners will appear on NBC’s Today Show in October.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is a book still widely read and as relevant as it was twenty years ago. Happy 20th Anniversary to our US friends!