# J.K. Rowling

> She wrote Harry Potter as a single parent in Edinburgh, then turned to adult fiction, a stage play, screenplays and, under the name Robert Galbraith, a crime series.

- Novelist and screenwriter · Harry Potter · Cormoran Strike
- Known for: The seven Harry Potter novels, which have sold more than 600 million copies in 85 languages, and the Cormoran Strike crime novels she writes as Robert Galbraith.[2]
- Last updated: 2026-11-14
- Editorial review: approved 2026-11-14
- Web page: https://authorbackstories.com/authors/jk-rowling/
- Reading list (PDF): https://authorbackstories.com/authors/jk-rowling/reading-list.pdf

## Featured book: New HBO series

*Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone* (1997). The first Harry Potter novel, published in the UK in 1997 and in the US the next year as *Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone*.[1] HBO's eight-episode adaptation of it premieres on December 25, 2026.[15]

## At a glance

- Born: Joanne Rowling, July 31, 1965, in Yate, England[8]
- Pen names: J.K. Rowling; Robert Galbraith (crime fiction)[1]
- Education: University of Exeter, French and Classics, including a year in Paris[1]
- Best known for: Harry Potter, seven books published 1997–2007[2]
- Honours: OBE; Companion of Honour; France's Légion d'honneur[1]
- Major award: Nestlé Smarties Book Prize, Gold Award (9–11 years), 1999, for *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban*[11]
- Major award: Whitbread Children's Book of the Year, 1999, for *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban*[12]
- Major award: Hugo Award for Best Novel, 2001, for *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire*[10]

## J.K. Rowling's Backstory

### Early life

Joanne Rowling was born on July 31, 1965, in Yate, England.[8] She grew up in Gloucestershire and in Chepstow, Wales, reading constantly and writing stories from childhood.[1] Her mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when Rowling was a teenager and died in 1990.[1] Rowling studied French and Classics at the University of Exeter, a course that included a year in Paris.[1]

### The idea on the train

After graduating, Rowling moved to London and worked in several jobs, among them researcher at Amnesty International.[1] The idea for Harry Potter came to her in 1990 on a delayed train journey,[1] which Biography.com reports was from Manchester to London.[8] Over the following years she planned the seven-book series, writing mostly by hand.[1]

### Portugal and Edinburgh

Rowling moved to northern Portugal to teach English, married there in 1992 and had a daughter in 1993.[1] When the marriage ended she settled in Edinburgh, trained as a teacher and taught in the city's schools while she wrote.[1] Biography.com reports that she was living on welfare while she worked on the first book.[8]

### Harry Potter

Rowling sent the first three chapters of *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone* to literary agents; one asked to see the rest, which she later called "the best letter I had ever received in my life."[1] Bloomsbury published the book in June 1997, and Scholastic published it in the United States in 1998 as *Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone*, a change of title its publisher suggested.[1] The series ended in 2007 with *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*.[1] The seven books have sold more than 600 million copies in 85 languages.[2]

### Robert Galbraith and other work

Her first novel for adults, *The Casual Vacancy*, followed in 2012.[1] In 2013 she published *The Cuckoo's Calling* as Robert Galbraith, at first without revealing that she was the author.[1] The Sunday Times connected the pen name to Rowling after noticing that "Galbraith" shared an agent, editor and publisher with her; Rowling said that being Galbraith had been "a liberating experience."[9]

In 2016 she worked with the playwright Jack Thorne and the director John Tiffany on the stage play *Harry Potter and the Cursed Child*, and made her debut as a screenwriter with *Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them*, followed by two more Fantastic Beasts films.[2] She has also written two books for younger children, *The Ickabog* (2020) and *The Christmas Pig* (2021).[2]

### Charities

Rowling set up the Volant Charitable Trust in 2000 to fund charities, mainly in Scotland, that work against social deprivation, and founded the children's charity Lumos in 2005.[1] She also supports the Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic in Edinburgh, named for her mother; Beira's Place, a support service for women who have experienced sexual violence, founded in 2022; and the J.K. Rowling Women's Fund, set up in 2024 to fund legal cases on women's sex-based rights.[1]

### Statements on sex and gender

In June 2020 Rowling published an essay of about 3,600 words in which, as the Thomson Reuters Foundation reported, she linked her own experiences of sexual assault and domestic abuse to her concern about transgender women's access to women-only spaces.[13] The head of the U.S. Human Rights Campaign and a UK trans rights group were among those who criticized it.[13] In October 2026 she published a follow-up essay saying her views had not changed; her critics call those views anti-trans, a label she rejects.[14]

## Fun facts

- Rowling has no middle name: the "K" comes from her grandmother Kathleen, and her publisher reportedly wanted initials in case boys were put off by a female author.[8][1]
- She studied Classics at university and drew on it when inventing some of the spells in Harry Potter.[1]
- The publisher's biography for "Robert Galbraith" described a former member of the Royal Military Police's Special Investigative Branch who left the military in 2003.[9]
- Within the wizarding world, *Quidditch Through the Ages* is credited to Kennilworthy Whisp; Rowling wrote it and *Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them* for the charity Comic Relief.[22]
- *The Ickabog* was serialised free online in 2020 and published with illustrations drawn by children.[2]
- Listeners have spent more than one billion hours with the Harry Potter audiobooks.[2]

## Books

In order of first publication; each series is kept together in reading order.

Titles and first publication years from J.K. Rowling's official biography and website, with dates for individual Harry Potter books from Scholastic and from the record of the British editions.[2][1][6][21]

- **Harry Potter** (series, 7 books, 1997–2007)
  - 1997: Book 1, *Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone* (Novel). Published in the UK as *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*.[1] ISBN 9780590353427. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9780590353427) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9780590353427)
  - 1998: Book 2, *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets* (Novel). ISBN 9780439064873. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9780439064873) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9780439064873)
  - 1999: Book 3, *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban* (Novel). ISBN 9780439136365. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9780439136365) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9780439136365)
  - 2000: Book 4, *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire* (Novel). Won the 2001 Hugo Award for Best Novel.[10] ISBN 9780439139601. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9780439139601) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9780439139601)
  - 2003: Book 5, *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix* (Novel). ISBN 9780439358071. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9780439358071) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9780439358071)
  - 2005: Book 6, *Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince* (Novel). ISBN 9780439785969. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9780439785969) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9780439785969)
  - 2007: Book 7, *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows* (Novel). ISBN 9780545139700. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9780545139700) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9780545139700)
- **Hogwarts Library** (series, 3 books, 2001–2008). Short companion books, published for charity: the first two for Comic Relief, the third for Lumos.[4][5]
  - 2001: *Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them* (Other). A Hogwarts textbook, published for Comic Relief in March 2001.[4] [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Fantastic%20Beasts%20and%20Where%20to%20Find%20Them%20J.K.%20Rowling)
  - 2001: *Quidditch Through the Ages* (Other). A Hogwarts library book, credited to Kennilworthy Whisp.[22] [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Quidditch%20Through%20the%20Ages%20J.K.%20Rowling)
  - 2008: *The Tales of Beedle the Bard* (Story collection). Wizarding fairy tales, sold in aid of Lumos.[5] [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Tales%20of%20Beedle%20the%20Bard%20J.K.%20Rowling)
- 2012: *The Casual Vacancy* (Novel). Her first novel for adults.[1] ISBN 9780316228589. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9780316228589) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9780316228589)
- **Cormoran Strike** (series, 8 books, 2013–2025). Crime novels published under the pen name Robert Galbraith. A ninth, *Sleep Tight, Evangeline*, has been announced.[2][17]
  - 2013: Book 1, *The Cuckoo's Calling* (Novel). ISBN 9780316206853. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9780316206853) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9780316206853)
  - 2014: Book 2, *The Silkworm* (Novel). ISBN 9780316206891. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9780316206891) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9780316206891)
  - 2015: Book 3, *Career of Evil* (Novel). ISBN 9780316349895. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9780316349895) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9780316349895)
  - 2018: Book 4, *Lethal White* (Novel). ISBN 9780316422772. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9780316422772) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9780316422772)
  - 2020: Book 5, *Troubled Blood* (Novel). ISBN 9780316498951. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9780316498951) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9780316498951)
  - 2022: Book 6, *The Ink Black Heart* (Novel). ISBN 9780316413138. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9780316413138) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9780316413138)
  - 2023: Book 7, *The Running Grave* (Novel). ISBN 9780316572118. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9780316572118) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9780316572118)
  - 2025: Book 8, *The Hallmarked Man* (Novel). ISBN 9780316586016. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9780316586016) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9780316586016)
- 2015: *Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination* (Nonfiction). Her 2008 Harvard commencement speech, published as an illustrated book.[2] ISBN 9780316369152. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9780316369152) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9780316369152)
- **Fantastic Beasts screenplays** (series, 3 books, 2016–2022). The published screenplays of her three Fantastic Beasts films.[2]
  - 2016: Book 1, *Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay* (Screenplay). ISBN 9781338109061. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781338109061) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781338109061)
  - 2018: Book 2, *Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald – The Original Screenplay* (Screenplay). ISBN 9781338263893. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781338263893) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781338263893)
  - 2022: Book 3, *Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore – The Complete Screenplay* (Screenplay, with Steve Kloves). ISBN 9781338853681. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781338853681) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781338853681)
- 2016: *Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two* (Play, original story with John Tiffany and Jack Thorne; play by Jack Thorne). ISBN 9781338216660. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781338216660) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781338216660)
- 2020: *The Ickabog* (Children's book). ISBN 9781338732870. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781338732870) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781338732870)
- 2021: *The Christmas Pig* (Children's book). ISBN 9781338790238. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781338790238) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781338790238)

## Latest news

- Nov. 3, 2026: A TV tie-in edition of *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone* was published ahead of HBO's series, which arrives at Christmas.[3]
- Oct. 22, 2026: Rowling published "An Update to My Essay of June 2020," a piece of more than 2,000 words saying her views on sex and gender have not changed; Newsweek reported that it criticizes groups including Stonewall, trade unions and parts of the media, publishing and academia.[14]
- Feb. 13, 2026: Rowling announced on X that the ninth Cormoran Strike novel will be called *Sleep Tight, Evangeline*; no publication date has been set.[17]

## Adaptations and other media

### Film

- *Harry Potter film series* (2001–2011). Based on *Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's 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*. Eight films from Warner Bros., with the last book split into two; EBSCO puts their combined worldwide gross at more than $7.7 billion.[19]
- *Fantastic Beasts films* (2016–2022). Rowling wrote the screenplays for *Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them* (2016), *The Crimes of Grindelwald* (2018) and *The Secrets of Dumbledore* (2022).[2]

### Television

- *Harry Potter (HBO)* (Premieres Dec. 25, 2026). Based on *Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone*. A series planned to adapt one book per season; the first, eight episodes based on the first book, premieres on HBO and HBO Max on December 25, 2026.[15] Dominic McLaughlin plays Harry, and Rowling is an executive producer.[16]
- *Strike* (2017–present). Based on *The Cuckoo's Calling*, *The Silkworm*, *Career of Evil*, *Lethal White*, *Troubled Blood*, *The Ink Black Heart*, *The Running Grave*. Tom Burke and Holliday Grainger star in the BBC drama, which first aired on BBC One in August 2017.[18] Its seventh story, adapting *The Running Grave*, is a co-production with HBO and Warner Bros. Discovery.[7]
- *The Casual Vacancy* (2015). Based on *The Casual Vacancy*. The BBC adapted the novel for television in 2015.[1]

### Stage

- *Harry Potter and the Cursed Child* (Opened 2016). A play by Jack Thorne from an original story by Rowling, Thorne and director John Tiffany; it opened in London and tours internationally.[2]

### Audio and radio

- *Harry Potter full-cast audio editions* (2025–2026). Based on *Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's 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*. Full-cast recordings of all seven books were released between November 2025 and May 2026.[3]

### Theme parks and attractions

- *The Wizarding World of Harry Potter* (Opened 2010). A themed area inside Universal's Islands of Adventure park in Orlando, Florida, which opened to the public in June 2010.[20]

## Timeline

- July 31, 1965: Born Joanne Rowling in Yate, England.[8]
- 1990: The idea for Harry Potter comes to her on a delayed train journey; her mother dies the same year.[1]
- June 1997: Bloomsbury publishes *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone* under the name J.K. Rowling.[1]
- Sept. 2, 2001: *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire* wins the Hugo Award for Best Novel.[10]
- 2007: The series ends with *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*.[1]
- 2012: Publishes her first novel for adults, *The Casual Vacancy*.[1]
- July 14, 2013: The Sunday Times reveals her as Robert Galbraith, author of *The Cuckoo's Calling*.[9]
- 2016: *Harry Potter and the Cursed Child* opens in London, and she makes her screenwriting debut with *Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them*.[2]
- June 2020: Publishes an essay on her views on sex and gender.[13]
- Nov. 3, 2026: A TV tie-in edition of the first book is published ahead of HBO's series.[3]

## What's next

HBO's *Harry Potter* series premieres December 25, 2026, adapting the first book in eight episodes.[15] The ninth Strike novel, *Sleep Tight, Evangeline*, has been announced without a publication date.[17]

## Sources

1. [About J.K. Rowling](https://www.jkrowling.com/about/). J.K. Rowling (official site). (primary record)
2. [J.K. Rowling Biography 2026 (PDF)](https://www.jkrowling.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/J.K.-Rowling-Biography-2026.pdf). J.K. Rowling (official site). (primary record)
3. [Book News](https://stories.jkrowling.com/book-news/). J.K. Rowling Stories (official site). (primary record)
4. [The Harry Potter Stories](https://stories.jkrowling.com/?p=294). J.K. Rowling Stories (official site). (primary record)
5. [The Tales of Beedle the Bard](https://www.jkrowling.com/book/tales-beedle-bard/). J.K. Rowling (official site). (primary record)
6. [Highlights and Milestones About the Harry Potter Series](https://www.scholastic.com/content/newsroom/online-press-kits/harry-potter/harry-potter-highlights-and-milestones.html). Scholastic. (primary record)
7. [Tom Burke and Holliday Grainger return in Strike – The Running Grave](https://robert-galbraith.com/tom-burke-and-holliday-grainger-return-in-strike-the-running-grave/). Robert Galbraith (official site). (primary record)
8. [J.K. Rowling](https://www.biography.com/author/jk-rowling). Biography.com. (reference)
9. [J.K. Rowling revealed as secret author of acclaimed crime novel](https://www.wtkr.com/2013/07/14/j-k-rowling-revealed-as-secret-author-of-acclaimed-crime-novel). CNN, via WTKR. (news)
10. [J.K. Rowling Wins Hugo Award](https://www.writerswrite.com/j-k-rowling-wins-hugo-9052001288). Writers Write. (news)
11. [BfK News: January 2000](https://booksforkeeps.co.uk/?p=23476). Books for Keeps. (news)
12. [Whitbread Children's Book Award](https://christchurchcitylibraries.com/Kids/LiteraryPrizes/Whitbread/). Christchurch City Libraries. (reference)
13. [Explainer: J. K. Rowling and trans women in single-sex spaces: what's the furore?](https://interaksyon.philstar.com/?p=170700). Thomson Reuters Foundation, via Interaksyon. (news)
14. [J.K. Rowling's new essay on trans issues criticizes eight groups](https://www.newsweek.com/jk-rowling-trans-issues-essay-2026-groups-criticized-12605468). Newsweek. (news)
15. [HBO's Harry Potter Series Premieres on December 25, 2026](https://www.aol.com/articles/hbos-harry-potter-series-premieres-103000000.html). Men's Journal, via AOL. (news)
16. ['Harry Potter' TV Series: Premiere Date, Cast, Trailer, Plot, and More](https://www.tvinsider.com/1123843/harry-potter-tv-series-2026-premiere-date-cast-plot-details/). TV Insider. (news)
17. [The Strike 9 Title is 'Sleep Tight, Evangeline'](https://strikefans.com/the-strike-9-title-is-sleep-tight-evangeline/). Strike Fans. (website)
18. [Strike TV Series: Series 1-3](https://strikefans.com/strike-tv-series-series-1-3/). Strike Fans. (website)
19. [Harry Potter films](https://ebsco.com/research-starters/literature-and-writing/harry-potter-films). EBSCO Research Starters. (reference)
20. [Quidditch, butterbeer at Potter park](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/wbna37637178). Associated Press, via NBC News. (news)
21. [Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter_and_the_Prisoner_of_Azkaban). Wikipedia. (reference)
22. [Quidditch Through the Ages](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quidditch_Through_the_Ages). Wikipedia. (reference)