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J. K. Rowling

English author (born 1965) · United Kingdom · Writers

J. K. Rowling is read about 10,489 times a day, in 140 languages.

A typical day, 30 days to 15 October 2026

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She turned a train-delay daydream into the best-selling book series in history - 600 million copies of a boy wizard's story - then used the fortune to fund causes that made half her audience stop speaking to her.

WritersMovie DirectorFilm DirectingLiteratureFictionScreenwritingUnited KingdomEurope

A life in dates

2010Hans Christian Andersen Literature AwardAward2008Geffen AwardAward2007Andre Norton AwardAward2004Honorary Doctor of the University of EdinburghAward2003“If you need to tell your readers something … there are only two characters that you can put it convincingly into their dialogue. One is Hermione, the other is Dumbledore.”In their wordsFebruary 2003Interview with screenwriter Steve Kloves, moderated by by Lizo Mzimba. Chamber of Secrets DVD (February 2003)

“I've given you more than I've given anyone else which I probably shouldn't probably say on - on screen, or they'll kidnap and torture him, and we need him.”In their wordsFebruary 2003Interview with screenwriter Steve Kloves, moderated by by Lizo Mzimba. Chamber of Secrets DVD (February 2003)

Princess of Asturias Award for ConcordAward2002Fellow of the Royal Society of EdinburghAwardPrijs van de Jonge JuryAward2001Publieksprijs voor het Nederlandse BoekAward2000“Depression is the most unpleasant thing I have ever experienced. [...] It is that absence of being able to envisage that you will ever be cheerful again. The absence of hope.”In their words30 June 2000As quoted in Ann Treneman "J. K. Rowling : The Interview", The Times (30 June 2000)

Honorary Doctor of the Edinburgh Napier UniversityAwardHonorary Doctor of the University of St AndrewsAwardLocus Award for Best Fantasy NovelAward1999“Hermione was very easy to create because she is based almost entirely on myself at the age of 11. She is really a caricature of me.”In their words13 March 1999From an interview by Margaret Weir, as cited in "Of magic and single motherhood", Salon (13 March 1999)

Children's bookshop prizeAwardLiteraturpreis der Jury der jungen LeserAward1997“When the American deal came through, that meant security. It means that I can buy a flat. It means not worrying.”In their words21 November 1997From an interview by Ann Treneman, as cited in "Joanne Rowling's secret is out", The Independent (21 November 1997)

Nestlé Children's Book PrizeAward1992“[On her first marriage] I married on October 16, 1992. I left on November 17, 1993. So that was the duration of what I considered to be the marriage. ...”In their words16 October 1992

1965Born31 July 1965

Also in Deutsch

Photos 11

Rowling's parents met on a train from King's Cross; her portal to the magical world is "Platform .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);clip-path:polygon(0px 0px,0px 0px,0px 0px);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}9+3⁄4" at King's Cross.[7]Rowling's parents met on a train from King's Cross; her portal to the magical world is "Platform .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);clip-path:polygon(0px 0px,0px 0px,0px 0px);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}9+3⁄4" at King's Cross.[7]Church Cottage, Tutshill, Gloucestershire, Rowling's childhood homeChurch Cottage, Tutshill, Gloucestershire, Rowling's childhood homeRowling moved to Porto, Portugal, to teach English.Rowling moved to Porto, Portugal, to teach English.A bookshop in California, US, in 2007, five minutes before Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was releasedA bookshop in California, US, in 2007, five minutes before Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was releasedRowling at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. in 1999Rowling at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. in 1999Bus promoting Deathly Hallows - Part 2, 2011Bus promoting Deathly Hallows - Part 2, 2011Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Palace Theatre in the West End, 2017Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Palace Theatre in the West End, 2017

In their own words 10

,
J. K. Rowling
,
10 statements, newest first

  1. I've never set out to teach anyone anything.

    Feb 2003, Interview with screenwriter Steve Kloves, moderated by by Lizo Mzimba. Chamber of Secrets DVD (February 2003), Own words

  2. If you need to tell your readers something … there are only two characters that you can put it convincingly into their dialogue. One is Hermione, the other is Dumbledore.

    Feb 2003, Interview with screenwriter Steve Kloves, moderated by by Lizo Mzimba. Chamber of Secrets DVD (February 2003), Own words

  3. I've given you more than I've given anyone else which I probably shouldn't probably say on - on screen, or they'll kidnap and torture him, and we need him.

    Feb 2003, Interview with screenwriter Steve Kloves, moderated by by Lizo Mzimba. Chamber of Secrets DVD (February 2003), Own words

Wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0

Awards

Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award2010
Honorary Doctor of Harvard University2008
Geffen Award2008
Andre Norton Award2007
Honorary Doctor of the University of Aberdeen2006
Anthony Award2004
Honorary Doctor of the University of Edinburgh2004
Princess of Asturias Award for Concord2003
Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh2002
Hotze de Roos Prize2002
Prijs van de Jonge Jury2002
De Kinderjury2002
Hugo Award for Best Novel2001
Publieksprijs voor het Nederlandse Boek2001
Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel2000
Honorary Doctor of the University of St Andrews2000
Honorary Doctor of the Edinburgh Napier University2000
Honorary Doctor of the University of Exeter2000
Nestlé Children's Book Prize1999
Children's bookshop prize1999
Literaturpreis der Jury der jungen Leser1999
Nestlé Children's Book Prize1998
Nestlé Children's Book Prize1997
Knight of the Legion of Honour
Officer of the Order of the British Empire
James Joyce Awards
Companion of Honour
Order of the Smile
Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
Children's Book Award (UK)
Bram Stoker Award for Best Work for Young Readers

Family

Parents

J. K. Rowling

Partners

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About this person

Joanne Rowling conceived Harry Potter in 1990, then spent seven years watching her mother die, divorcing, raising a daughter alone, and living in relative poverty before Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone reached print in 1997. Six sequels followed through 2007; Forbes named her the world's highest-paid author in 2008. The books spawned 84 translations and a global film-and-game empire. She writes crime fiction as Robert Galbraith and has given over $200 million to medical research, at-risk women and children, and Labour Party efforts against Scottish independence and Brexit. In 2019 she began posting opposition to gender self-identification and trans women in women's toilets, donating to the gender-critical group For Women Scotland and drawing anger from fans who grew up on her work.

Country
United Kingdom
Category
Writers
Type
Writer / Author
Status
living
Dates
Born 1965 · age 61

In common with J.

Julianne HoughAlso in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)David TennantAlso in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)Tom FeltonAlso in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)Emma WatsonAlso in J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter and Me (2001)Johnny DeppAlso in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)Alison SudolAlso in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)

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