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J.K. Rowling

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J.K. Rowling: Biography

J.K. Rowling
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  • Birth Name: Joanne Rowling
  • Birth Place: Yate, Gloucestershire, England
  • Date of Birth / Zodiac Sign: 07/31/1965, Leo
  • Profession: Writer
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J.K. Rowling Fast Facts:
  • The idea for Harry Potter popped into her head while on a crowded, delayed train from Manchester to London in 1990.
  • Was advised by her publisher that boys would not read books by a woman, so she adopted her middle initial "K" from the name of her favorite grandparent, Kathleen.
  • First daughter, Jessica, is named for Rowling's childhood heroine, the activist Jessica Mitford.
  • Prefers to write in longhand.
  • Awarded as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.) by Queen Elizabeth in 2001.
  • In less than 10 years, went from a struggling writer to Forbes magazine's list of billionaires, a feat attained in 2004.
  • Announced her first novel for adults, The Casual Vacancy, in 2012.
  • Very active in many charities, including research for multiple sclerosis, of which her mother died in 1990 at age 45.
  • J.K. Rowling Relationships:
  • Kathleen - Grandmother
  • Jessica - Daughter
  • Dianne - Sister
  • David Gordon Rowling Murray - Son
  • Janet Rowling - Stepmother
  • Mackenzie Jean Rowling Murray - Daughter
  • Anne Rowling - Mother
  • Jorge Arantes - Ex-husband
  • Neil Murray - Husband
  • Peter Rowling - Father
  • College:
  • University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, England (BA in French and the Classics, 1986)

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J.K. Rowling Mike Marsland/WireImage.com
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