J. K. Rowling

J. K. Rowling

Name	J. K. Rowling
Birth name
Birth date	Birth date -1st March 1966
Birth place	Yate, Gloucestershire, England
Death date
Death place
Alma mater
Occupation	Novelist, screenwriter, producer
Years active
Organization
Known for
Notable works	Harry Potter series
Spouse(s)
Website

J. K. Rowling (born 31 July 1965) is a British author, best known for writing the Harry Potter fantasy series. The books have gained worldwide attention, won multiple awards, and sold more than 500 million copies, becoming the best-selling book series in history. They have been the basis for a popular series of films, over which Rowling had overall approval on the scripts and was a producer on the final films.

Early Life and Education

Joanne Rowling was born in Yate, Gloucestershire, England, and grew up in the nearby village of Winterbourne. She attended St Michael's Primary School, later moving to Wyedean School and College. Rowling studied French and the Classics at the University of Exeter, spending a year in Paris as part of her studies.

Career

Early Career

After graduating, Rowling worked in various jobs, including as a researcher and bilingual secretary for Amnesty International. The idea for the Harry Potter series came to her during a delayed train journey from Manchester to London in 1990.

Harry Potter Series

The first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, was published in 1997. The series follows the life of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The main story arc concerns Harry's struggle against Lord Voldemort, a dark wizard who intends to become immortal and conquer the wizarding world.

The series consists of seven books:

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007)

Post-Harry Potter

After the Harry Potter series, Rowling wrote several books for adults, including The Casual Vacancy (2012) and the Cormoran Strike series under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. The Cormoran Strike series includes:

• The Cuckoo's Calling (2013)
• The Silkworm (2014)
• Career of Evil (2015)
• Lethal White (2018)
• Troubled Blood (2020)

Philanthropy

Rowling is known for her philanthropic work, having donated millions to various charities. She established the Volant Charitable Trust, which supports projects that alleviate social deprivation, with a particular emphasis on women's and children's issues. She is also the founder of the international children's charity Lumos.

Controversies

Rowling has been involved in several controversies, particularly regarding her comments on transgender issues, which have sparked significant debate and backlash from various communities.

Personal Life

Rowling married Portuguese television journalist Jorge Arantes in 1992, and they had one daughter, Jessica, before divorcing in 1995. She married Neil Murray, a Scottish doctor, in 2001, and they have two children together.

Also see

• Harry Potter (series)
• Lumos (charity)
• Robert Galbraith
• The Casual Vacancy
• British authors