Do you recall a time when JK Rowling was not an international superstar?

Neither do I.

So here’s an interview with the author shortly after the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (1997), when both Ms. Rowling and the world lacked any comprehension of the phenomenon that lay ahead.

Her shock and humility of simply finding an agent is quite apparent in the video. She even has to explain who Harry Potter is to the interviewer. (When was the last time that happened?) Fortunately, she seems to have kept that same level head over the years, even after seven books, eight movies, and approximately half a billion copies sold.

For the burgeoning writers among us, it’s nice to know that even the literary giants began as we do now. For you Harry Potter fans, savor (for a moment) the book’s modest beginnings when only a handful of readers knew about Hogwarts.

As for one of my favorite lines in the interview: “If it were done right, I think it could make a good film.”

I would have to agree. Enjoy.

Untitled from Dave Taylor on Vimeo.

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