Joanne Rowling, writing under the pen name J.K. Rowling, is a British author and philanthropist born in Yate, Gloucestershire. She conceived the idea for Harry Potter while on a delayed train from Manchester to London in 1990. The first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, was published in 1997 after multiple rejections from publishers. The series went on to become a global phenomenon, spanning seven books published between 1997 and 2007, selling over 500 million copies worldwide.
Before achieving literary success, Rowling worked as a researcher and bilingual secretary and experienced periods of financial hardship as a single mother. The Harry Potter series transformed her into one of the world's most successful authors and led to a multimedia franchise including films, theme parks, and stage productions.
Beyond Harry Potter, Rowling has written adult fiction under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, including the Cormoran Strike detective series. She founded the children's charity Lumos and has been involved in various philanthropic efforts. Her work has earned numerous awards and honors, and she was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2001.
