Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
A lot happened in 1997, Sir Paul McCartney was knighted, Discovery captured the Hubble Space Telescope, lamb ‘Dolly’ was cloned … but beyond dispute, the most important thing to us ‘nerds’ was the release of the first Harry Potter book on June 26, 1997.
Twenty years to that day can only mark the beginning of the era where these series would be the permanent book-shelf sitters in many houses, being passed on between siblings, friends and between generations. The story of the boy wizard kept us waiting for our Hogwarts letter far beyond our 11th birthdays. Six years on, I have penned my poetic summary of the books.
‘Rowling was on a train when she placed Harry on one,
And then erupted Hogwarts, under the Scottish sun,
Transfiguration, Divinations and Potions,
Were definitely better than my SAT portions!
With Dumbledore came in Voldemort,
And a baggy old hat that could sort,
A saga stretched over seven books,
Surely kept us readers hooked.
Cause Ronald and Hermione joined the trail,
Bound by friendship that could never fail,
The three brothers came into play,
And the master set on to death slay.
The favourite of most children since the 90s,
Contained a dark story with morals mighty,
That gave wings to our imagination,
Yes, it was Rowling’s creation!’
