J.K. Rowling: Early Life and Writing Career

Joanne "Jo" Rowling or J K (Joanne Kathleen) Rowling is a British novelist from Gloucestershire, England, who authored the infamous Harry Potter series which received worldwide acclaim and ranked as the best-selling series of all time in literary history.

Conception of the Writer Within

Rowling had even lived on government support as her financial hardships strangled her career and she admitted to have had suicidal thoughts at a point in her life. When she moved back from London to Manchester, on a train ride between the cities, the idea for the infamous Harry Potter was born.

When she lost her mother, her life completely changed and traces of her grief and nostalgia are found in Harry’s character, which is that of an orphan boy. She was looking for a teaching job as she had a child to take care of while several publishers refused to endorse her book. After several rejections, in August 1996, Bloomsbury accepted her story and agreed to publish it.

J.K. Rowling Timeline

J.K. Rowling was born on the 31^st of July, 1965 in Gloucestershire, England and was raised in her hometown for the most part until her family moved to Winterbourne and later moved to Wales.

She had to undergo severe stress during her teenage years when her mother had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. This event had a significant impact on her early life which she acknowledged in the later years as well.

She went to the University of Exeter and earned the title of a bachelor of arts in French. She worked for the humanitarian organization, Amnesty International, for a while, which campaigns against human rights abuses across the globe.

Writing Journey Towards Potter Books

She made her way to the top in a short span of five years and changed her fortunes with the creation of the enigmatic world of Harry Potter whose idea was conceived in 1990 during a train trip from Manchester to London.

The book turned out to be a massive hit and became the best-selling saga of all time and elevated Rowling from a financially distraught individual to the 12th richest woman in the United Kingdom and a runner up for Time Magazine’s person of the year.

She is currently a donor and member of welfare societies such as One Parent Families and the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain. So one is driven to ask what books J.K. Rowling wrote. And the list of her publications is as follows:

Estimated Worth of J.K. Rowling

The flaunting success of Potter books brought Rowling from living on benefits to a multi-millionaire status within a span of 5 years. As of March 2011, when its latest world billionaires list was published, Forbes estimated Rowling’s net worth to be US$1 billion.

The 2008 Sunday Times Rich List estimated Rowling’s fortune at £560 million ($798 million), ranking her as the twelfth richest woman in Great Britain. Forbes ranked Rowling as the forty-eighth most powerful celebrity of 2007, and Time magazine named her as a runner-up for its 2007 Person of the Year, noting the social, moral, and political inspiration she has given her fandom.

In October 2010, J. K. Rowling was named as ‘Most Influential Woman in Britain’ by leading magazine editors. She has become a notable philanthropist, supporting famous charities like Comic Relief, One Parent Families, Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain, and Lumos.

What Awards Has J.K. Rowling Won?

J K Rowling has received the following honors and awards:

• Order of the British Empire (OBE), 2001
• Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur: France, 2009
• Prince of Asturias Award for Concord, Spain, 2003
• The Edinburgh Award, 2008
• Honorary Degrees from the University of Exeter, University of St Andrews, Napier University, University of Edinburgh, Dartmouth College, USA, Harvard University, USA, University of Aberdeen.
• Commencement speaker, Harvard University, USA, 2008
• James Joyce Award, University College Dublin, 2008
• Author of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Award
• British Book Awards,1999 and 2008
• Booksellers Association Author of the Year, 1998 and 1999
• W H Smith Fiction Award, 2004
• Outstanding Achievement Award, South Bank Show Awards, 2008
• Blue Peter Gold Badge, awarded 2007

How to Send an Email or Letter to J.K. Rowling?

Though you cannot send a direct email to J.K Rowling, you can send her a letter on any one of the following addresses:

J. K. Rowling

c/o Scholastic Inc.

555 Broadway

New York, NY 10012

OR

J. K. Rowling

c/o Bloomsbury Publishing

38 Soho Square

London

W1V 5DF

UK