Joanne Rowling CH OBE FRSL, also known by her pen name J. K. Rowling, is a British author and philanthropist. She wrote Harry Potter, a seven-volume children’s fantasy series published from 1997 to 2007. She was born in July 31, 1965 (age 58 years), Yate, United Kingdom.
After graduating from the University of Exeter in 1986, Rowling began working for Amnesty International in London, where she started to write the Harry Potter adventures.
J.K. Rowling’s life is a classic rags-to-riches story. Her parents never received a college education, she lived for years with government assistance as a single mother, and overcame a dozen rejections from publishers to become, almost overnight, one of the most successful and widely read authors in the history of the world.
December 1990 was a dark time for Rowling. Her mother Anne passed away due to multiple sclerosis. Life didn’t get any easier. In 1991, she moved to Portugal to become an English teacher, and experienced a failed marriage. She continued to write Harry Potter, and used the effects of her mother’s death and other problems she was experiencing to develop the character of the young wizard.
This first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (1997), was an unprecedented success. The novels in the series which have succeeded it have topped bestseller lists, won numerous awards, and been translated into over sixty languages. Worldwide, the Harry Potter books have exceeded sales of 300 million copies.
Just 23 years after writing her first novel, she is now a billionaire at the age of 53. She has never forgotten her humble roots and gives much of her money to charities, including those that support people with multiple sclerosis and people living in poverty. She now has three children and is married to her second husband, Neil Murray.
