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What you can learn from the interviews with J. K. Rowling on the Internet:
- The idea for Harry just fell into J. K. Rowling's head when she was on a long train journey from Manchester to London.
- It took five years to write the first book. She tried to write the book in as natural a way as possible.
- Arthur Levine, the American editor, wanted her to change the title of the book published in the USA into the "Philosopher's Stone" to be more understandable to American readers.
We can add from other information on the Internet that the spelling was changed, too (AM). There were vocabulary changes as well e. g. closet instead of cupboard, vacation for holiday, schedule for timetable.
- The series was always conceived as a seven-book series.
- The theme running through all seven books is the fight between good and evil.
- The books have been published in very many different countries and translated into lots of different languages (circa 35)
- A movie is being made and will be finished by November 2001, about which J. K. Rowling is very excited.
- Warner Brothers have bought merchandising rights, so it is possible that we will be seeing Harry Potter toys.
- J. K. Rowling's daughter loves the Beatrix Potter books. She is still too young for the Harry Potter books, but one day she will read them.
- There are no plans to write an eighth book.
- J. K. Rowling still writes in cafés, but now she goes to different places too. She hasn't got many hobbies except looking after her daughter, spending time with friends, reading and writing.
- From the once unemployed single parent she has become a famous author and is now very rich. But she never forgets poor people and helps them with some contributions.
- To the question if the characters are based on real people she replies Hermoine is a little bit like she was and Snape like her old teacher. The names were invented in a plane on a sick bag and she sometimes collects unusual names to look through and choose from if she needs some names.
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Interviews 
