J.K. Rowling
(b. 1965)

Born on July 31, 1965, in Yate near Bristol, J.K. Rowling began her storytelling career at just four or five years old, entertaining her younger sister Dianne with tales of a rabbit with measles. Her life has been as rich and varied as her imagination. In 1990, during a delayed train journey from Manchester to London, the idea for Harry Potter first sparked in her mind.

After her mother’s death that same year, Rowling moved to Portugal in 1991, where she began drafting the outline for the first Harry Potter book. She married a Portuguese TV journalist in 1992, but after the birth of her daughter Jessica in 1993, she returned to the UK and settled in Edinburgh—close to her married sister. Divorced from her abusive husband in 1994, she faced hardship but persevered. In 1997, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was published, and the world fell in love. The first four books followed in yearly succession, with the final three released every two years.

No one could have predicted the phenomenal success of these novels, but within a short time, Rowling became one of the most celebrated authors of our era. While her full life story is widely available online, the focus here is on the magic she created—a world that continues to captivate millions.

Photo: The Scottish Sun, 2019.

 

Harry Potter Series

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone 1997

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 1998

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 1999

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 2000

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 2003

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 2005

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2007

 

Books by J.K. Rowling (Beyond Harry Potter)

As J.K. Rowling:

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 2001 Companion book to Harry Potter

Quidditch Through the Ages 2001 Companion book to Harry Potter

The Tales of Beedle the Bard 2008 Fairy tales from the Harry Potter universe

The Casual Vacancy 2012 Adult fiction, social drama

The Christmas Pig 2021 Children’s book

As Robert Galbraith (Pseudonym):

The Cuckoo’s Calling 2013 First Cormoran Strike mystery

The Silkworm 2014 Second Cormoran Strike mystery

Career of Evil 2015 Third Cormoran Strike mystery

Lethal White 2018 Fourth Cormoran Strike mystery

Troubled Blood 2020 Fifth Cormoran Strike mystery

The Ink Black Heart 2022 Sixth Cormoran Strike mystery

 

Screenplays:

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 2016 Screenplay for the film

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald  2018 Screenplay for the film

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore 2022 Screenplay for the film

 

J.K. Rowling is a fierce advocate for women’s rights and human dignity—a stance that hasn’t always earned her praise in the media. But no matter the controversy, one thing remains untouchable: the world of Harry Potter. After all, even the most stubborn critics can’t sink a story that taught millions of us about courage, friendship, and the power of love. So let’s raise our wands (or at least our teacups) to the magic she created—and to the unshakable truth that some legacies, like Hogwarts itself, are simply unplottable.