J.K. Rowling Biography

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 (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II 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
• Named a Companion of the Order of the Companions of Honour in the Queen's 2017 Birthday Honours