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This page uses content from Wikipedia. The original article was at J. K. Rowling. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with the Harry Potter Wiki, the text of Wikipedia is available under a Creative Commons License. |
- "If you choose to use your status and influence to raise your voice on behalf of those who have no voice; if you choose to identify not only with the powerful, but with the powerless; if you retain the ability to imagine yourself into the lives of those who do not have your advantages, then it will not only be your proud families who celebrate your existence, but thousands and millions of people whose reality you have helped change. We do not need magic to transform our world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already. We have the power to imagine better."
- — J. K. Rowling in her Harvard Commencement Speech on 5 June 2008[src]
Joanne "Jo" Rowling (pronunciation: rolling), CH, OBE, FRSL, FRCPE (b. 31 July 1965) better known by her pen name J. K. Rowling, is a British novelist, film producer, television producer, screenwriter and philanthropist. Rowling is most famous for authoring the Harry Potter series, which have gained international attention and have won multiple awards. In February 2004, Forbes magazine estimated her fortune as £576 million,[1] making her the first person to become a US dollar billionaire by writing books.
Early life
Joanne Rowling was born in Yate, United Kingdom in 1965, to Peter and Anne Rowling. Together with her mother, father, and younger sister Dianne, she moved to Winterbourne, Bristol and then to Tutshill near Chepstow. She attended secondary school at Wyedean School, where she told stories to her fellow students. In 1990, her 45-year-old mother succumbed to a decade-long battle with multiple sclerosis. This affected her very much. Growing up, her relationship with her father was strained, and as a result she has not spoken to him in recent years. She has also said that because of her lack of a proper father there are many father figures for Harry in her books.
![Jkr](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/harrypotter/images/3/35/Jkr.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/250?cb=20100718012845)
J. K. Rowling in her childhood
Rowling studied for a BA in French and Classics at the University of Exeter, which she says was a "bit of a shock" as she "was expecting to be amongst lots of similar people– thinking radical thoughts". Once she made friends with "some like-minded people" she says she began to enjoy herself.[2] She wrote a short essay titled "What was the Name of that Nymph Again? or Greek and Roman Studies Recalled" and published it in the university journal Pegasus, which recounts her time at Exeter studying for her BA in Classics.[3] After a year of study in Paris, Rowling moved to London to work as a researcher and bilingual secretary for Amnesty International.[4] During this period, she had the idea for a story of a young boy attending a school of wizardry while she was on a four-hour delayed train trip between Manchester and London. When she had reached her destination, she already had in her head the characters and a good part of the plot for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which she began working on during her lunch hours.
Rowling then moved to Porto, Portugal, to teach English as a foreign language. While there she married Portuguese TV journalist Jorge Arantes on 16 October 1992. They had one child, Jessica Isabel Rowling Arantes (born 27 July 1993), before their divorce in 1995.
In December 1994, she and her daughter moved to be near her sister in Edinburgh. Unemployed and living on state benefits, she completed her first novel, doing some of the work in an Edinburgh café. (There is a widely circulated rumour that she wrote in a local café to escape from her unheated flat — but according to the author this is false.)
Harry Potter and beyond
![JKRowling](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/harrypotter/images/3/3e/JKRowling.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/200?cb=20220718111356)
Rowling
Rowling's publisher, Bloomsbury Publishing, wanted to use initials on the cover of the Harry Potter books, suggesting that if they used an obviously female name, the target group of young boys might be reluctant to buy them. Since Rowling didn't have a middle name she chose to adopt her paternal grandmother's name, Kathleen (full name: Kathleen Ada Bulgen Rowling), for the middle initial.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was a huge success, and she has thus far published six sequels. The sales made her a multi-millionaire, and in 2001, she purchased a luxurious 19th-century mansion, Killiechassie House, on the banks of the River Tay in Perthshire, Scotland, where she married her second husband, Dr Neil Murray, on 26 December 2001.
The Harry Potter series runs seven volumes, one for each year Harry spends in school. The series is complete. The fifth book, titled Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, was delayed by an unsuccessful plagiarism suit directed towards her by rival author Nancy Stouffer (see below). Rowling took some time off from writing at this point because during the process of writing the fifth book she felt her workload was too heavy. She said that at one point she had considered breaking her arm to get out of writing because the pressure on her was too much. After forcing her publishers to drop her deadline, she enjoyed three years of quiet writing, commenting that she spent some time working on something else that she might return to when she is finished with the Harry Potter series. The fifth book was released on 21 June 2003.
![Hpsim03](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/harrypotter/images/1/10/J._K._Rowling_on_The_Simpsons.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/250?cb=20120802165427)
Rowling's appearance as herself on The Simpsons
In late 2003, she was approached by television producer Russell T. Davies to contribute an episode to the British television science-fiction series Doctor Who. Although she was "amused by the suggestion", she turned the offer down, as she was busy working on the next novel in the Potter series. On 20 December 2004, she announced that the sixth Harry Potter book would be released on 16 July 2005.
Rowling has also made a guest appearance as herself on the American cartoon show The Simpsons, in a special British-themed episode entitled "The Regina Monologues".
On 5 June 2008, J. K. Rowling was the keynote speaker for Harvard University Commencement.[5]
Harry Potter books
![HP-books-1-through-7](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/harrypotter/images/2/21/HP-books-1-through-7.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/200?cb=20070510175440)
The complete set of Harry Potter books
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (26 June 1997)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2 July 1998)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (8 July 1999)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (8 July 2000)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (21 June 2003)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (16 July 2005)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (21 July 2007)
- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (31 July 2016)
- Quidditch Through the Ages (2001)
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2001)
- The Tales of Beedle the Bard (2008)
- Harry Potter Prequel (2008)
- Pottermore Presents[6]
- Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide (6 September 2016)
- Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics and Pesky Poltergeists (6 September 2016)
- Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies (6 September 2016)
The first two Harry Potter-related books purport to be facsimiles of books mentioned in the novels. Fantastic Beasts is a textbook, while Quidditch is probably the most popular book in the Hogwarts Library. They are complete with handwritten annotations and scribblings in the margins and include introductions by Albus Dumbledore. All proceeds from them go to the UK Comic Relief charity. She has contributed money and support to many other charitable causes, especially research and treatment of multiple sclerosis, from which her mother died in 1990. By Rowling's own account, this death greatly affected her writing.
Fantastic Beasts-screenplays
![Fbedition](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/harrypotter/images/4/46/Fbedition.jpeg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/100?cb=20160901110115)
![Fantastic Beasts The Crimes of Grindelwald The Original Screenplay](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/harrypotter/images/4/4b/Fantastic_Beasts_The_Crimes_of_Grindelwald_The_Original_Screenplay.jpeg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/100?cb=20200413085057)
![The Secrets of Dumbledore The Complete Screenplay](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/harrypotter/images/5/53/The_Secrets_of_Dumbledore_The_Complete_Screenplay.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/100?cb=20220324224648)
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay (19 November 2016)
- Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay (16 November 2018)
- Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore - The Complete Screenplay (30 June 2022) (The screenplay was announced to be released 5 months later from the film release.)
In 2013, Rowling announced that she had begun to write a screenplay for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which would take place seventy years before the events of the Harry Potter novels.[7]
In 2016, she finished the screenplay for the sequel, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.[citation needed]
In 2018, the same month of the release of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, she announced she finished writing the first screenplay of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore - The Complete Screenplay that was not used, that is different to the one that was written by her and Steve Kloves in 2020.[citation needed]
Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films
Rowling sold the film rights of the first four books to Warner Bros. for a reported price of $2 million.
In keeping with the book's British atmosphere and themes, Rowling made a mandatory rule that the cast be kept strictly British and Irish. She resisted suggestions by the filmmakers that the movies should be filmed in the United States or cast with American actors (only two Americans appear in the first film).[8] She only reluctantly went along with changing Philosopher's Stone to Sorcerer's Stone and limited it to the U.S. only but later allowed it to be extended to India and Philippines, therefore making them the only three countries to use such a title. In particular, Rowling's primary insistence on British and Irish actors for the main roles resulted in Steven Spielberg passing on the opportunity to direct the series.
Rowling assisted Steve Kloves in writing the scripts for the films, ensuring that his scripts do not contradict future books in the series. She says she had told him more about the later books than anybody else, but not everything. She has also said that she had told Alan Rickman and Robbie Coltrane certain secrets about their characters that had not yet been revealed, in order to inform their performances and avoid later inconsistencies.
A film version of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was released in late 2001 and the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in 2002. Both were directed by American film director Chris Columbus.
A darker atmosphere was adopted in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, attributed to the new director, Alfonso Cuarón. Rowling, who was a fan of Cuarón's work prior to the third film, has stated that the third film is her personal favourite.
Kloves took time off from Harry Potter in 2007 to work on his own film; Michael Goldenberg was hired to adapt Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, while Kloves returned for the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and parts 1 and 2 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Alongside writing the screenplays for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore - she did produce each film and attended some days on the set of the films.
Television series
For two whole years from 2020 to 2022, J. K. Rowling refused to meet with any employee of Warner Bros, and had refrained from attending a reunion special. When she appeared at a Fantastic Beasts premiere, no one wanted to do much with her. Critics and former fans spent two years castigating her for comments on gender and sex. She felt betrayed when Warner Bros. did not rush to her defence. After Warner Bros' new CEO David Zaslav sent a message saying he wanted to meet with her, they met at a London Supper Club, and discussed for four hours about various topics. Zaslav revealed that he wanted to breathe new life into the franchise by creating a television series instead.[9]
Other books
In 2012, Rowling began publishing books unrelated to her Harry Potter series. Her first adult book was The Casual Vacancy, which has since been adapted into a three-episode miniseries that aired on BBC One in February 2015. In December 2016, Rowling announced that she was working on two new novels - one written with the name J. K. Rowling and another written with the name Robert Galbraith. She was unsure which one would be completed first and promised to update when she was. She also clarified that neither would be centred around Newt Scamander.[10]
In April 2013, Rowling published the first of her Cormoran Strike series titled The Cuckoo's Calling under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. Since 2014 to 2020, she has published five sequels. In November 2020, she published a children's book, The Ickabog. In August 2022, the sixth novel in her Cormoran Strike series, called The Ink Black Heart, was published.
The Casual Vacancy
- "I think I've really exhausted the magical. It was a lot of fun, but I've put it behind me for the time being. If there is a connection between Harry Potter and my new novel, it's my interest in characters."
- — J. K. Rowling comparing The Casual Vacancy to the Harry Potter series[src]
![CasualVacancyCoverArt](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/harrypotter/images/8/8d/CasualVacancyCoverArt.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/200?cb=20120814034359)
The cover of The Casual Vacancy
The Casual Vacancy was released worldwide on 27 September 2012[11] by Little, Brown and Company in hardback, e-book, audio download, and CD formats.[12] It was Rowling's first novel targeted specifically at an adult audience and her first published work outside of the Harry Potter series.[11][12] It was released in paperback on 18 July 2013 in the UK, with two new covers available.[13]
It is set in the fictional location of Pagford, a seemingly peaceful and idyllic town. However, beneath its surface, Pagford is a "town at war", where rich clash with poor, teenagers with parents, wives with their husbands, and teachers with their students. After the sudden death of Barry Fairbrother shocks the town, his seat on the parish council is left open, leading to an election "fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations".[11]
The title was promoted with a "minimalist" approach, with few advance copies being released, with few appearances by Rowling herself. She had only one appearance in the United States well in advance of its release. Those who received advanced copies were reportedly required to sign contracts described as "more legal documents than would typically be involved in buying a house".[14]
The print copy reached #1 on Amazon.com's list of bestsellers and #1 in both the Contemporary and Literature sections. Early reviews were generally favourable, but noted its vast difference from the Harry Potter novels, including elements such as drugs, sex, and explicit language.[15][16]
Lawsuits
Rowling has been involved in a lawsuit over the Harry Potter series, and other litigation has been suggested or rumoured.
Nancy Stouffer
In the late 1990s, Nancy Stouffer, an author of children's books published in the 1980s, began to charge publicly that Rowling's books were based on her books, including The Legend of Rah and the Muggles and Larry Potter and His Best Friend Lilly.
In 2001, Rowling, Scholastic Press (the American publisher of her books), and Warner Bros. (the producer of the film adaptations) sued Stouffer, asking the court to judge that there was no infringement of Stouffer's trademarks or copyright. Stouffer, who had not previously sued, then filed counterclaims alleging such infringement.
![LRM](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/harrypotter/images/9/90/LRM.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20100730224506)
The cover of Nancy Stouffer's The Legend of Rah and the Muggles
Rowling and her colitigants argued that much of the evidence that Stouffer presented was fraudulent, and asked for sanctions and attorneys' fees as punishment. In September 2002 the court found in Rowling's favour, stating that Stouffer had lied to the court and falsified and forged documents to support her case. Stouffer was fined $50,000 and ordered to pay part (but not all) of the plaintiffs' costs.[17]
In January 2004, it was reported that Stouffer's appeal against the judgement had been rejected. The appeals court agreed that Stouffer's claims were properly dismissed because "no reasonable juror could find a likelihood of confusion as to the source of the two parties' works". The Court explained:
Stouffer's and Plaintiffs' marks are used in two very different ways. Rowling's use of the term "Muggles" describes ordinary humans with no magical powers while Stouffer's "Muggles" are tiny, hairless creatures with elongated heads. Further, the Harry Potter books are novel-length works and whose primary customers are older children and adults whereas Stouffer's booklets appeal to young children. Accordingly, the District Court correctly dismissed Stouffer's trademark claims.
Stouffer was also ordered to pay the costs of the appeal. A report of the judgement can be found at Entertainment Law Digest, available via Web Archive. The 2002 judgement can be found here: ROWLING v. STOUFFER
Some sources, such as the TV Tropes Wiki, have pointed out that the word "muggle" (sometimes in its present meaning of "naïve/incompetent person") dates back at least to the 1920s.
New York Daily News
On 19 June 2003, Rowling and her American publisher Scholastic announced that they would sue the New York Daily News for $100 million because the newspaper had printed information on her work Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix before the book's official release date. The novel was due for release on Saturday 21 June, but the newspaper published a plot summary and short quotes on Wednesday 18 June. An accompanying image even revealed two pages from the book with legible text. However, the story was complicated further when it was revealed that the paper had purchased the book from a health store whose owner received the novels wholesale and decided to place them in the window. The man claimed he was unaware he was supposed to wait until that Saturday.
Publications
Children
Harry Potter series
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (26 June 1997)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2 July 1998)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (8 July 1999)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (8 July 2000)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (21 June 2003)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (16 July 2005)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (21 July 2007)
Related works
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (supplement to the Harry Potter series) (1 March 2001)
- Quidditch Through the Ages (supplement to the Harry Potter series) (1 March 2001)
- The Tales of Beedle the Bard (supplement to the Harry Potter series) (4 December 2008)
- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (story concept) (play written by Jack Thorne) (31 July 2016)
- Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics and Pesky Poltergeists (6 September 2016)
- Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies (6 September 2016)
- Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide (6 September 2016)
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay (film script) (19 November 2016)
- Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay (film script) (16 November 2018)
- Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (film script) (15 April 2022)
- The Harry Potter Wizarding Almanac (10 October 2023)
Short stories
- Harry Potter prequel (July 2008)
Other
- The Ickabog (originally published online, print release November 10 2020)[18]
Adults
- The Casual Vacancy (27 September 2012)
Cormoran Strike series
- The Cuckoo's Calling (as Robert Galbraith) (18 April 2013)
- The Silkworm (as Robert Galbraith) (19 June 2014)
- Career of Evil (as Robert Galbraith) (20 October 2015)
- Lethal White (as Robert Galbraith) (18 September 2018)
- Troubled Blood (as Robert Galbraith) (15 September 2020)
- The Ink Black Heart (as Robert Galbraith) (30 August 2022)
- The Running Grave (as Robert Galbraith) (26 September 2023)
Other
Non-fiction
- McNeil, Gil and Sarah Jane Brown|Brown, Sarah, editors (2002). Foreword to the anthology Magic. Bloomsbury.
- Brown, Gordon (2006). Introduction to "Ending Child Poverty" in Moving Britain Forward. Selected Speeches 1997–2006. Bloomsbury.
- Sussman, Peter Y., editor (26 July 2006). "The First It Girl: J. K. Rowling reviews Decca: the Letters by Jessica Mitford". The Daily Telegraph.
- Anelli, Melissa (2008). Foreword to Harry, A History. Pocket Books.
- Rowling, J. K. (5 June 2008). "The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination". Harvard Magazine.
- J. K. Rowling, Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and Importance of Imagination, illustrated by Joel Holland, Sphere, 14 April 2015, 80 pages (ISBN 978-1-4087-0678-7).
- Rowling, J. K. (30 April 2009). "Gordon Brown – The 2009 Time 100". Time magazine.
- Rowling, J. K. (14 April 2010). "The Single Mother's Manifesto". The Times.
- Rowling, J. K. (30 November 2012). "I feel duped and angry at David Cameron's reaction to Leveson". The Guardian.
- Rowling, J. K. (17 December 2014). Isn’t it time we left orphanages to fairytales? The Guardian.
- Rowling, J. K. (guest editor) (28 April 2014). "Woman's Hour Takeover". Woman's Hour, BBC Radio 4.[19]
Awards
J. K. Rowling has received numerous honours and awards:
- Booksellers Association Author of the Year - 1998 and 1999[20]
- Author of the Year - 1999[20]
- Order of the British Empire (OBE) - 2001[20]
- Prince of Asturias Award for Concord - 2003[20]
- W.H. Smith Fiction Award - 2004[20]
- Blue Peter Gold Badge - 2007[20]
- James Joyce Award - University College Dublin, 2008[20]
- The Edinburgh Award - 2008[20]
- Outstanding Achievement Award - South Bank Show Awards, 2008[20]
- Lifetime Achievement Award - 2008[20]
- Commencement Speaker - Harvard University, U.S.A., 2008[20]
- The French Legion of Honour Award
![Rowling frenchlegionofhonour](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/harrypotter/images/e/e7/Rowling_frenchlegionofhonour.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/200?cb=20100730061634)
J. K. Rowling at the French Legion of Honour Awards
On 3 February 2009, the French president awarded Rowling the insignia of Chevalier of the Order of the Legion of Honour, France's highest honour. Rowling believed until recent years that her great-grandfather Louis Volant had also received the award for bravery during the war when she discovered the recipient was a different man with the same name in the programme Who Do You Think You Are?. The awarding ceremony was held at Palace Elysee in Paris, France.[20][21][22]
- H.C. Andersen Literature price - 19 October 2010 in Odense, Denmark[23]
- Order of the Companions of Honour - 2017
Personal life
Rowling's first marriage was to Jorge Arantes. They have a daughter, Jessica Rowling-Arantes.
On 26 December 2001, Rowling married Dr Neil Murray in a private ceremony at her home in the Perthshire village of Aberfeldy.[24] On 23 March 2003, Rowling gave birth to her second child, a boy named David Gordon Rowling Murray, at the Simpson Centre for Reproductive Health at the New Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh.[25][26] On 23 January 2005, Rowling's third child, also by Dr Murray, was born, fulfilling Rowling's lifelong wish to have three children. The baby girl was named Mackenzie Jean Rowling Murray.
Rowling is a member of the Church of Scotland and has stated that she believes in God, although the Christian theme was not included in the books as it might have been easy to predict where the stories were going.[27]
Behind the scenes
![Jk rowling peeves](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/harrypotter/images/b/b8/Jk_rowling_peeves.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/200?cb=20161218043223)
Her original sketch of Peeves
![JKR Original Sketch 1.](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/harrypotter/images/8/87/JKR_Original_Sketch_1..jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/200?cb=20161218042942)
Her drawing of Rubeus Hagrid, Albus Dumbledore, and Minerva McGonagall cooing over a baby Harry Potter
![JKR Harry and the Dursleys illustration](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/harrypotter/images/f/f3/JKR_Harry_and_the_Dursleys_illustration.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/200?cb=20160823210802)
J. K. Rowling's drawing of Harry Potter at 4 Privet Drive
- J. K. Rowling wrote her first book at the age of six. It was about a rabbit called Rabbit.
- In The Tales of Beedle the Bard, J. K. Rowling writes an in-universe introduction to the stories, which ostensibly have been translated by Hermione Granger. As such, she establishes that a J. K. Rowling exists in the Harry Potter universe.
- In 2010, J. K. Rowling said that she can't guarantee she wouldn't return to the world of Harry Potter in the next ten years or so, therefore she didn't want to say she never would, but she also said it was unlikely. However, during an interview with Oprah, she gave signs of an eighth book.[28] It is possible that this turned out to be Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, as the stage play was marketed as the eighth story.
- In June of 2011, Rowling announced Pottermore, an online interactive experience.
- When J. K. Rowling received the Legion of Honour Award from Nicolas Sarkozy in 2009, she gave a speech in French in which she talked about her grandfather, Louis Volant.[29]
- In February 2012, Rowling announced the publication of an upcoming new book, targeted at adults, but no further information was given. The title was later revealed to be The Casual Vacancy. She also announced a complete revamp of her official website, slated to be launched sometime in the spring.
- In April 2012, she reopened her official website and announced that her new novel was to be titled The Casual Vacancy and would be published on September 27. The tone of the novel is described as being "blackly comic."[11]
- J. K. Rowling was sorted into Gryffindor on Pottermore.[30] However, before that, she once took an online Sorting Hat Quiz which sorted her into Hufflepuff.
- J. K. Rowling has stated that her Patronus would be a Pine Marten,[31] although when she did the Patronus quiz again, she instead received a heron.[32]
- In Harry Potter: Beyond the Page, Rowling revealed that she cannot remember a time when she wanted to be anything other than a writer.
- In July 2013, the Sunday Times newspaper revealed that the "debut" novel, The Cuckoo's Calling by "Robert Galbraith" (published in April 2013), was actually written by Rowling under a pseudonym (presumably a combination of the names of businessman Robert Rowling and economist J. K. Galbraith). She is planning to write a second novel about this book's protagonist, Cormoran Strike.[33]
- A second Cormoran Strike novel, Silkworm, was published on 19 June 2014.
- In December 2013, Rowling auctioned a Harry Potter-themed charm bracelet which was designed based on her sketches.[34]
- Rowling said the Harry Potter series might not have happened if her mother hadn't died. "The books are what they are because she died ... because I loved her and she died."
- J. K. Rowling disapproved of Donald Trump's idea to ban citizens of countries accused of sponsoring terrorism from entering the United States of America, which was perceived by some as Islamophobic. Following this, BBC Newsbeat published an article titled "Why people are calling American businessman Donald Trump Voldemort." However, Rowling disagreed as she felt that Voldemort is "nowhere near as bad".[35]
- J. K. Rowling revealed on Twitter that she was sorted into the Thunderbird House for Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.[36]
- J. K. Rowling once stated that if she were to choose her own wand, it would be made of walnut wood, with a Phoenix feather core.[37]
- As International Women's Day passes, many have said her publishers told her to write her author name as 'J. K. Rowling' instead of 'Joanne Rowling' because if young boys knew a woman wrote the books, they 'wouldn't buy them.'
- J. K. Rowling cannot drive.[38]
- J. K. Rowling has said that her favourite magical beast is the Demiguise.[39]
- Recently, Rowling has been accused of transphobia by many following several controversial tweets posted on her Twitter account regarding the transgender community and transgender issues, along with the contents of her 2020 crime novel Troubled Blood.[40][41] Rowling's Twitter comments also notably sparked backlash from several Wizarding World actors, including Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Eddie Redmayne, Evanna Lynch, Bonnie Wright, Noma Dumezweni, Chris Rankin and Katie Leung.[42] Wizarding World fan sites MuggleNet and The Leaky Cauldron have distanced themselves from Rowling concerning her transgender comments and criticised them.[43] She has also received criticism from transgender and non-binary Harry Potter fans, who have cited their disappointment in her comments and found them disheartening.[44][45] Rowling has defended these comments in a written statement on her website.[46][47] In response to criticism Rowling has received in the media for these comments, she has also received many tweets deemed abusive which have also been heavily criticised.[48]
- She was considered to be extremely protective of her work, having revealed to Leslie Stahl that she refuted numerous companies from licensing her characters to numerous companies, such as Boeing.[citation needed]
- In an interview record for her own website, she went into details bout her writing process on the Harry Potter series.[49].
- She revealed that Alan Rickman called her via phone and asked "Look I'm spinning plates here. I really need to understand what Snape's up to? Am I a pure baddie?" She replied "you were in love with Harry’s mother” and talked him through it by saying “You are a double agent. But you do dislike harry. You can’t overcome your spite visceral dislike of this boy who looks just like your arch enemy.". She then told him what was coming, before it appeared in the films. She also revealed she disliked killing off characters; and killing off Severus Snape was terrible, as well as for the deaths of Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, and Fred Weasley.
- After she spend 17 years writing in the world of Harry Potter, she said "I'm free to fail, I'm free to write what I want to do, (even) if no one wants to read it.".
- She had writer’s block during the writing of the second book, but that feeling o being overwhelemd lasted a week.
Notes and references
- ↑ "J.K. Rowling And The Billion-Dollar Empire"
- ↑ Fraser, Lindsey. Conversations with J. K. Rowling, pg 34 Scholastic.
- ↑ Rowling, J. K. (1988). "What was the Name of that Nymph Again? or Greek and Roman Studies Recalled". Pegasus (41). University of Exeter Department of Classics and Ancient History. OCLC 179161486.
- ↑ Norman-Culp, Sheila. British author rides up the charts on a wizard's tale. Associated Press. 1998. Retrieved 6 December 2007.
- ↑ J.K. Rowling Harvard Commencement Speech
- ↑ Pottermore has a brand new treat for you this September: Pottermore Presents, a trio of eBooks that delve even deeper into the wizarding world.
- ↑ "JK Rowling to write new Harry Potter-inspired film series based on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" at The Independent
- ↑ While Zoë Wanamaker has made a name for herself as an English actress, she was born in New York.
- ↑ https://www.wsj.com/business/media/jk-rowling-harry-potter-warner-bros-tv-ba66a767
- ↑ JK Rowling is working on TWO new novels (Merry Christmas, everyone!) by Glamour Magazine
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 "J.K. Rowling's next book: 'The Casual Vacancy'" from USA Today
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "JK Rowling announces title of first adult novel" from BBC News
- ↑ SnitchSeeker - J. K. Rowling's Casual Vacancy Set for July 18th paperback release
- ↑ The Casual Vacancy: Want an advance copy? Good luck.
- ↑ Christian Science Monitor - "The Casual Vacancy: Adult content shows we're not at Hogwarts anymore"
- ↑ The Guardian - J.K. Rowling: The Casual Vacancy: Review
- ↑ "Rowling wins Potter plagiarism case" BBC news report on suit
- ↑ Scholastic - The Ickabog
- ↑ Alison Flood (10 April 2014). "JK Rowling to become Woman's Hour first guest editor for 60 years". Retrieved on 7 May 2014.
- ↑ 20.00 20.01 20.02 20.03 20.04 20.05 20.06 20.07 20.08 20.09 20.10 20.11 jkrowling.com
- ↑ JKR receive the Legion of Honour award from French president
- ↑ Décoration de Mme J.K. ROWLING, romancière
- ↑ Azkaban.dk
- ↑ "Potter creator buys Scots hideaway" - BBC News article, dated November 22, 2001
- ↑ "Baby joy for JK Rowling" - BBC News article, dated March 24, 2003
- ↑ "Potter author has baby boy" - BBC News article, dated March 25, 2003
- ↑ Wyman, Max. " 'You can lead a fool to a book but you can't make them think': Author has frank words for the religious right," The Vancouver Sun (British Columbia), October 26, 2000, retrieved from Accio Quote!
- ↑ J.K. Rowling isn't done with 'Harry Potter' Universe, but where could it go?
- ↑ Transcript: J.K. Rowling’s Legion of Honour Award Acceptance Speech
- ↑ Harry Potter Reading Club live webchat, 11 October 2012 (source here)
- ↑ JK Rowling's Patronus is a Pine Marten - The Mary Sue
- ↑ All the Known Patronus Shapes for 'Harry Potter' characters - Insider
- ↑ JK Rowling writes secret crime novel under false name
- ↑ J.K. Rowling on Charm Bracelets, Harper's Bazaar, December 1st, 2013
- ↑
J. K. Rowling on X: "How horrible. Voldemort was nowhere near as bad."
- ↑
J. K. Rowling on X: "I'm a Thunderbird."
- ↑ Comic Relief live chat transcript, March 2001
- ↑
J. K. Rowling on X: "My favourite bit of utter nonsense about Potter landmarks is still this one. I can't drive."
- ↑ Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them: Live European Premiere from London
- ↑ A Complete Breakdown of the J. K. Rowling Transgender-Comments Controversy - Glamour
- ↑ JK Rowling on Twitter: why the Harry Potter author has been accused of transphobia on social media platforms - The Scotsman
- ↑ Harry Potter actor who's spoken out against J.K. Rowling's controversial trans comments
- ↑ Harry Potter fan sites distance themselves from JK Rowling over transgender rights
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Author Who Failed Us - Vox
- ↑ Is J.K. Rowling transphobic? Let's let her speak for herself.
- ↑ J.K. Rowling Writes about Her Reasons for Speaking out on Sex and Gender Issues
- ↑ J.K. Rowling posts lengthy defence of trans stance, says she's a sexual assault survivor
- ↑ J.K. Rowling’s Transphobia Is Unacceptable—But So Is Her Online Harassment - Vogue
- ↑ [https://www.jkrowling.com/on-writing/ JK Rowling's website on Writing