Back to Hogwarts To Reach More Readers and Listeners This Year Than Ever Before

This year’s Back to Hogwarts global celebration will be the biggest yet, with new ways for readers and listeners around the world to experience the story that started it all, Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling.

The annual September 1 celebration will reach more fans than ever before as anticipation for the forthcoming HBO Original series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, builds ahead of a Christmas 2026 premiere date.

As part of the celebration, more than 200,000 print books and full-cast audiobooks of the first Harry Potter story will be donated to schools, libraries and hospitals across the U.S., UK and multiple international territories. This initiative is supported by Harry Potter publishers Scholastic, Bloomsbury, and Pottermore, alongside Audible and other international publishing partners.

In the U.S., Scholastic will give away 100,000 copies of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone through its school channels including underserved communities. In collaboration with Audible and Pottermore, Scholastic will also distribute Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Full-Cast Edition audiobook to 100,000 Book Clubs-affiliated teachers nationwide.

Other global initiatives include books donated by Bloomsbury to charities and partners across the UK, free books and audiobooks available to fans attending the London Back to Hogwarts event at Old Billingsgate Market, and expanded access to Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone through UK libraries.

From September 1 through Halloween, fans will be able to enjoy the original audiobook editions of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone narrated by Stephen Fry and Jim Dale on the official Harry Potter YouTube channel, with no paid subscription required. The YouTube release will mark the first time listeners outside North America can access the Jim Dale edition on YouTube.

These special initiatives, alongside a few surprises that have yet to be revealed, will inevitably bring the magic of storytelling to communities around the world and introduce a new generation of readers and listeners to Harry Potter.