TheHarryPotterbooksareaseriesoffantasynovelsbyBritishwriterJ.K.Rowling.Sincethereleaseofthefirstnovel,HarryPotterandthePhilosopher'sStone(retitledHarryPotterandtheSorcerer'sStoneintheUnitedStates)in1997,thebookshavegainedimmensepopularityandcommercialsuccessworldwide,spawningfilms,videogames,andawealthofotheritems.

　　Thesixbookstodatehavecollectivelysoldmorethan300millioncopies"J.K.Rowling".Accessed23March2006.andhavebeentranslatedintomorethan63languages.ThefirstvolumehasbeentranslatedintoLatinandevenAncientGreek,HPinAncientGreek.Accessed25November2006.makingitthelongestworkinthatlanguagesincethenovelsofHeliodorusofEmesainthe3rdcenturyAD.GreekHarryAccessed25November2006.Duetothetremendoussuccessofthenovels,Rowlinghasbecometherichestwriterinliteraryhistory.Watson,JulieandKellner,Tomas."J.K.RowlingAndTheBillion-DollarEmpire".Forbes.com,26February2004.Accessed19March2006.EnglishlanguageversionsofthebooksarepublishedbyBloomsburyintheUnitedKingdomandinternationally,andScholasticPressintheUnitedStates,Allen&UnwininAustraliaandRaincoastBooksinCanada.

　　AlargeportionofthenarrativetakesplaceinHogwartsSchoolofWitchcraftandWizardry,andfocusesonHarryPotter'sstrugglesagainstthedarkwizardLordVoldemort.Atthesametime,thebooksexplorethethemesoffriendship,ambition,choice,prejudice,courage,growingup,love,moralresponsibility,andthecomplexitiesofdeath,andaresetagainsttheexpansivebackdropofahiddenmagicalworldwithitsowncomplexhistory,diverseinhabitants,uniqueculture,andparallelsocieties.

　　Sixofthesevenplannedbookshavebeenpublished,andtheseventh,HarryPotterandtheDeathlyHallows,willbereleasedon21July2007ReleasedateannouncedonJ.K.Rowling'swebsite.Themostrecentlypublishedbook,HarryPotterandtheHalf-BloodPrince,wasissuedinanEnglishlanguageversionon16July2005.

　　ThefirstfourbookshavebeenmadeintoverysuccessfulmotionpicturesbyWarnerBros.Thefifth,HarryPotterandtheOrderofthePhoenixbeganfilminginFebruary2006,andisscheduledforreleaseon13July2007,eightdaysbeforethefinalbookisdueout.