J K Rowling 1 About J K Rowling

J. K. Rowling 1

About J. K. Rowling Jo Rowling, better known as J. K. Rowling, is the creator of the Harry Potter fantasy series, one of the most popular book and film franchises in history. She adopted her pen name, J. K. , incorporating her grandmother's name, Kathleen, at her publishers request, for the latter initial because she was never given a middle name. 2

Biography Joanne Rowling was born July 31, 1965 in. Yate, England grew up in Chepstow, Gwent where she started her college career but later left Chepstow for Exeter University, where she earned a French and Classics degree. As a postgraduate she moved to London and worked as a researcher at Amnesty International among other jobs. She started writing the Harry Potter series during a delayed Manchester to London King’s Cross train journey, and during the next five years, outlined the plots for each book and began writing the first novel. Jo then moved to northern Portugal, where she taught English as a foreign language. She married in October 1992 and gave birth to a daughter in 1993. The marriage ended in divorce and she and her daughter Jessica returned to the UK to live in Edinburgh with Jo’s sister. 3

Harry Potter Series • • Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 4

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Other works written by J. K. Besides the more well known Harry Potter books, J. K. Rowling has also written three Harry Potter tie in fictional fairy tale books, Quidditch Through the Ages, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and The Tales of Beedle the Bard. She has also most recently wrote her first non Harry Potter book called The Casual Vacancy. 6

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Awards and Honors • Author of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Award, British Book Awards, 1999 and 2008 • Booksellers Association Author of the Year, 1998 and 1999 • Order of the British Empire (OBE), 2001 • WH Smith Fiction Award, 2004 • Prince of Asturias Award for Concord, Spain, 2003 • Blue Peter Gold Badge, 2007 • Commencement speaker, Harvard University, USA, 2008 • The Edinburgh Award, 2008 • James Joyce Award, University College Dublin, 2008 • South Bank Show Award for Outstanding Achievement, 2008 • Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur: France, 2009 • Hans Christian Andersen Award, Denmark, 2010 8

Quotes • “It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. ” • “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live. ” • “Anything is possible if you’ve got enough nerve. ” • “Wit beyond measure is a mans greatest treasure. ” -J. K. Rowling 9

Useful Websites • http: //www. biography. com/people/jkrowling-40998#synopsis • http: //www. jkrowling. com/en_US/#/ • http: //www. harrypotter. bloomsbury. com/uk /jk-rowling-biography/ 10