J.K. Rowling Biography   

     What started out to be a mere book of a boy wizard has now grown to be a multi- billion dollar success including not only books, but movies, games, merchandise, and so much more. But the credit for all of this must be contributed to the woman who started it all: J.K. Rowling.
     Joanne Kathleen Rowling was born on July 31, 1965 in Chipping Sodbury, a city near Bristol, England. Ever since the age of 6 she has loved to write stories. She enjoyed entertaining other people, particularly her younger sister Di. She graduated college at Exter University with a French degree, and shortly afterwards moved to Portugal in 1990 where she taught English. She there met a Portuguese journalist and married him. But soon after the birth of their daughter Jessica in 1993 their marriage would end in divorce. She then moved to Edinburgh to live near her sister Di. In the year 1990, Jo also suffered the loss of her mom Anne, who died of multiple sclerosis.
     She came up with the idea for Harry Potter on a train ride from Manchester to London in 1990 in search for a home. The idea, she describes, just popped into her head, like it was floating around waiting for someone to pick it up. She says she experienced “an incredible upsurge of excitement and thought” in her head. She did not have a pen with her, and she never built up the nerve to ask someone for one, so instead of writing her ideas, she repeatedly thought them. She says if anything did not survive that train ride, then it probably wasn’t worth remembering.
     After many rejects, Jo was finally accepted for a sign-on with the publisher Bloomsbury which got her about $4,000. In 1997, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone hit book stores in England. But it soon found its way to a New York auction, where the American publisher Scholastic bought it and published it in America. To avoid Americans questioning the word Philosopher, it was changed to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone for publication in America in 1998. And from there it really took off.
     Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the next 2 books in her series, were released by 1999, which is when she became known around the world for her trilogy. By 2000, the 3 books had been released in 35 different languages, printed 35 million copies, and yielded $480 million. In July of 2000, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire became the fastest selling book in history. Later on in 2000, she released the 2 books Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and Quidditch Through the Ages, which were not continuations of the actual Harry Potter series, but instead books made to look like they came straight from the magical world.
     In 2000, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone found its way into the hands of David Heyman’s secretary, who shared with him the idea of making the book series into movies. He took the idea to Warner Brothers, who signed on with J.K. Rowling to make it into a movie. It was released in November of 2001, and it became the top-grossing movie of the year.
     In December of 2001, Jo married anesthetist Dr. David Neil Murray. On March 24, 2003, she gave birth to her second child David Gordon Rowling-Murray. On June 21st, 2003, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix hit book stores all over the world. In the first hour from release, 5 million copies had been sold, breaking the record she made with Goblet of Fire, again the fastest selling book in history. By 2003 the books were in 55 different languages and being sold in over 200 countries, in which the books appeared on all of the best seller lists. It became widely known that she wanted to write 7 books in the series, and the speculation reached a peak.
     On January 23, 2005, J.K. gave birth to her second child with David, and her third child in total, Mackenzie Jean Rowling-Murray. On July 16, 2005, she released her 6th book in the series Harry Potter and the Half - Blood Prince.
     After the 17 years J.K. has spent with Harry Potter, on July 21, 2007, she released the 7th and final installment in the Harry Potter series: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. In the first 24 hours, 8.3 million copies of it were sold in the United States alone. The books are now produced in 65 different languages, and J.K. Rowling is said to be worth about 1 billion dollars, richer than the Queen of England. She is the author responsible for writing by far the best and most successful book series in history, and ending the saga that has changed lives. Although she was euphoric to have completed the series and made so many happy, she said she was absolutely heartbroken, like her fans, for it to come to an end at last.
     J.K. says she plans to continue writing children’s books, because it is what she loves to do. She has found a connection with her beloved boy wizard and doesn’t want to leave the genre behind. However, she does not plan to continue the Harry Potter series. She says she planned for only 7 in the series, and she is happy with that. Harry Potter is not completely out of the question for her future, but is unlikely, although she has expressed interest in making a “dictionary” for the Harry Potter information.
     J.K. Rowling now lives happily with her husband and 3 children in Edinburgh, Scotland. Her books have earned a spot in libraries, bookstores, and homes nationwide. She has received numerous awards, and she is one of the richest authors alive. But her books are worth much more than any money amount could ever pay. J.K. Rowling will forever be remembered by all as the author of Harry Potter.