The Author

J.K. Rowling is one of the most well known authors' for her famous Harry Potter series, which have soled more than $500 million copies and been made into several movies. There was a time when she wasn't always so well known.
J.K. Rowling's full name is Joanne Kathleen Rowling and she was born on July 31, 1965, in Chipping Sodury. She had a genrally happy childhood and was often teased about her last name: sometimes being called "Rowling pin." But she does recall always liking the name potter(Which you can see ended up being the main characters last name). She began writing at an early age and was encouraged by friends that she would do well. Soon after graduating, Rowling went to the University of Essex to study french. After finishing off there, she went back to London and took various different jobs. It wasn't until 1990, that she got the idea of what is now Harry Poter. That very same year Rowling's mother died of multiple sclerosis.
Rowling incorporated events that happened in her life in the books; like when Harry's mother dies. In 1991, Rowling got a job as an english teacher in Portugal: there she met her first husband. Soon they separated, and Rowling returned to England in 1994 as a single mother, full time job, and trying to write a book. When she finally finished her first copy, they were sent to various publsher until finally it was picked up by Bloomsbury. One of the reasons it was picked up was because the daughter of editor Barry Cunningham liked it. After being published in 1996, the book took off. She was given grants to write full time and Scholastic wanted to publish in America. Then in 1998, Warner brothers got the film rights for the books, staying as close to the books as possible. On December 26, 2001 married the anesthetist Dr. Neil Murray. July 2007, Harry Potter and the deathly Hallows, the final book in the series, became the fastest selling book of all time.
Today she lives in Scotland with her husband Niel Murray and her three chilren.


Work Cited:
Phyllips, Rhodri. JK Rowling drops hints of possible eighth Harry Potter book. Web. 6 May 2011. <
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-505148/JK-Rowling-drops-hints-possible-eighth-Harry-Potter-book.html >.
Rowling, J.K. J.K. Rowling Biography. Web. 6 May 2011. < http://www.biographyonline.net/writers/j_k_rowling.html >.
J.K. Rowling Biography. 2011. Web. 6 May 2011. < http://www.biography.com/articles/J.K.-Rowling-40998 >.