Jules Verne (8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) is the second most translated author in the world following Agatha Christie, and each year more new editions in translation are drawn from his novels and stories—over 80 all told—more than for any other writer. 

The prolific author was one of the earliest to create science fiction novels [Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and Voyage to the Center of the Earth among them] and his influence has only grown since his death. Pioneering submarine designer Simon Lake, for one, credited his inspiration to Twenty Thousand Leagues and wrote in his biography, “Jules Verne was, in a sense, the director general of my life.” 

Among the close collaborators of Jules Verne was the French photographer, caricaturist, and balloonist Felix Nadar (6 April 1820 – 23 March 1910), with whom the author made a number of research expeditions for his books. Through this association, Verne also became acquainted with the scientific world of France as well as developing a long-term relationship with the publisher J. Hetzel & Cie, Paris, who published many of Verne’s stories in serial form.

Around the World in 80 Days, published in 1873, was so popular with readers of all ages that it inspired a series of spin-offs, including board games and action figures—and these were a unique phenomenon at the time. You could almost say that Jules Verne was the first author to become creative capital.

Many of the novels of Jules Verne were serialized in magazines and published along with extraordinary illustrations that have become the inspiration for countless visual narratives throughout the 20^th Century, including vivid posters that accompanied films derived from his novels. After leaving Maison Jules Verne, in Amiens, France, on Monday, I was struck by the similarities between the film posters on view at the museum and the one for the summer Hollywood blockbuster, Insaisissables [The Invincibles] which are currently plastered all over the city.

So the question is, does anyone beside me think it's even remotely possible that on a visit to Amiens, J.K. Rowling might have seen the poster for Maitre de Monde [Master of the World], with its young hero Harry Piel [above], and come up with the character and the plot for the first Harry Potter novel?

Maison Jules Vernes, 2, rue Charles-Dubois à Amiens. Information.