<Tr> <Th> Followed by </Th> <Td> Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire </Td> </Tr> <P> Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a fantasy novel written by British author J.K. Rowling and the third novel in the Harry Potter series . The book follows Harry Potter, a young wizard, in his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry . Along with friends Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, Harry investigates Sirius Black, an escaped prisoner from Azkaban who they believe is one of Lord Voldemort's old allies . </P> <P> The book was published in the United Kingdom on 8 July 1999 by Bloomsbury and in the United States on 8 September 1999 by Scholastic Inc . Rowling found the book easy to write, finishing it just a year after she had begun writing it . The book sold 68,000 copies in just three days after its release in the United Kingdom and since has sold over three million in the country . The book won the 1999 Whitbread Children's Book Award, the Bram Stoker Award, the 2000 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel, and was short - listed for other awards, including the Hugo . </P> <P> The film adaptation of the novel was released in 2004, grossing more than $796 million and earned notable critical acclaim . Video games loosely based on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban were also released for several platforms, and most obtained favourable reviews . </P>

Who published harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban