Born name

Joanne Rowling

nickname

J.K. Rowling, Robert Galbraith, Jo, JKR

Sun sign

Lion

Place of birth

Yate, Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom

nationality

training

JK Rowling went to St Michaels Elementary School . At the age of nine she received admission to the church cottage in Tutshill, Gloucestershire. For upper secondary education, she enrolled at Wyedean School and College .

She had ambitions to attend Oxford University and even passed the entrance exam but was not accepted. As a result, she joined the University of Exeter from where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in French and Classics.

occupation

Novelist, film producer, screenwriter

family

• Father – Peter James Rowling (Rolls-Royce Aircraft Engineer)
• Mother – Anne Rowling (Research Technician)
• Siblings – Dianne Rowling (Younger Sister)
• Others – Ernest Arthur Rowling (paternal grandfather), Kathleen Ada Bulgen (paternal grandmother), Stanley Georges Volant (maternal grandfather), Louisa Caroline Smith (maternal grandmother)

Manager

JK Rowling is signed by Neil Blair of The Blair Partnership.

Genre

Fantasy, drama, youth literature, tragicomedy, crime fiction

Build

Slim

Height

5 feet 5 inches or 165 cm

weight

54 kg

friend/spouse

Rowling has dated

1. Jorge Arantes (1992-1994) – Rowling met TV journalist Jorge Arantes at a bar in Porto. They shared a passion for Jane Austen’s work that eventually brought them closer. In October 1992, they were married in a small ceremony. In July 1993, she gave birth to a girl, Jessica Isabel Rowling Arantes. Rowling had miscarried before giving birth to her daughter. In November 1993, they separated and it was later reported that she had suffered domestic abuse throughout the course of their marriage. Eventually Arantes followed her to Scotland, and she was forced to restrain orders against him. In August 1994, she filed for divorce.
2. Neil Murray (2001-Present) – After dating for almost a year, Rowling married doctor Neil Murray in a private ceremony in December 2001. She even had to dress up to buy her wedding dress. In March 2003, she gave birth to a boy, David Gordon Rowling Murray. In January 2005, she gave birth to their second daughter, Mackenzie Jean Rowling Murray.

race/ethnicity

White

She has English, Alsatian, Scottish and French ancestry.

hair colour

Blond

eye color

Blau

sexual orientation

Just

distinguishing features

Blue eyes

measurements

36-24-35 inches or 91.5-61-89 cm

dress size

4 (USA) or 36 (EU)

shoe size

8 (USA) or 38.5 (EU)

brand promotion

Rowling has not done any endorsement work for any brand.

Religion

Anglican / Episcopal

Known for

After authoring the famous Harry Potter book series which has sold more than 400 million copies.

first novel

In 1997, Rowling published her debut fiction book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone .

first movie

She herself has never appeared in a movie.

First TV show

In 1997, Rowling made her first TV show appearance in 1 episode of the family show, Blue Peter .

Personal trainer

Contrary to 2007 rumours, which claimed that Rowling relied on yoga and had claimed in her interviews that she doesn’t follow a set diet nor does she love an exercise routine.

JK Rowling favorite things

• Children’s Book – The Little White Horse ( By Elizabeth Goudge)
• Movie – The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989)
• Held – Robert F. Kennedy
• Harry Potter Film – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
• Author – Jane Austen
• Book – Emma
• The most influential writer – Jessica Mitford
• Early Influences – Manxmouse ( By Paul Gallico), The Little White Horse ( By Elizabeth Goudge), The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe ( By CS Lewis)

JK Rowling Facts

1. She wrote her first short story called Bunny, at the age of 6 she gave it to her mother to read and after receiving a compliment for her work, she thought of having it published.
2. Her debut novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone , was rejected by 12 publishers before Bloomsbury decided to gamble on her.
3. Bloomsbury Publications decided to publish her book after 8-year-old Alice Newton, daughter of the publication’s chairman, became enthralled after reading the first chapter.
4. Rowling adopted the stage name “JK” after the publishers advised her to choose an ambiguous name, as they felt that a fantasy story written by a female author would not attract many readers.
5. During her difficult days, she was diagnosed with clinical depression and even contemplated suicide. She also suffered from insomnia.
6. After seeing an ad for an English teacher in The Guardian newspaper, she moved to Porto, Portugal. She wrote during the day and took language classes at night.
7. She wrote her first novel entirely on a typewriter in the various pavement cafes in Edinburgh. She was often accompanied by her young daughter.
8. In 2002, an American writer, Nancy Stouffer, filed a plagiarism lawsuit against Rowling in New York City court. The Legend of Rah and Muggles.
9. In September 2002, the judge dismissed Stouffer’s case after finding that she had tampered with the evidence and lied to the court.
10. Rowling’s lawyers manage to force Chinese publishers to pay unspecified damages after unauthorized sequels to the Harry Potter series were discovered in China. These copies were poorly written works by Chinese ghostwriters.
11. After she signed a publishing deal for the first Harry Potter book, the publisher’s rep asked her to keep her job as she might not be able to make enough money from her books.
12. In 2008, the British publication Telegraph placed her 14th in its list of “100 Most Powerful People in British Culture”.
13. In December 2007, she placed third behind Al Gore and Vladimir Putin (first place) in TIME Magazine’s Person of the Year list.
14. In 2000, she was added to Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday list when she was honored with an OBE. (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in recognition of her literary achievements.
15. She had a strained relationship with the press, filing lawsuits and complaints against various publications, even accusing them of extortion and phone hacking.
16. In 2000 she founded the Volant Charitable Trust, which fights against social inequality and poverty. The Trust also works closely with children’s and family organisations.
17. In December 2007 a handwritten and illustrated copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard was bought by the online retailer for £1.95 million, making it the most expensive single book to have sold at auction.
18. Her mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and in her memory Rowling has donated millions of pounds to fund research into and treatment of this condition, including a £10million donation to the Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic.
19. She has pledged all the money she made from royalties from The Cuckoo Calls to the Army Benevolent Fund, which provides jobs for veterans and supports their families in times of need.
20. Due to the success of the Harry Potter series, she became the first female author in history to sell more than 500 million copies of a single fiction series.
21. Visit her official website @ jkrowling.com.
22. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.