Little friends, let me introduce you to Joanne Rowling or J. K. Rowling.
She is a British author and philanthropist.
She wrote Harry Potter, which is a seven-volume children’s fantasy series.
The series has published between 1997 and 2007, and the series has sold more than 600 million copies 😮.
So, let us discuss some really interesting facts about this fascinating author.
Amazing J. K. Rowling Facts
Joanne Rowling was born in Yate Gloucestershire
Hey there, little friends, did you know that J. K. Rowling was born 👶 at Cottage Hospital in Yate, Gloucestershire?
She was born on July 31, 1965, to a middle-class family.
Rowling’s parents, James and Anne, married on March 14, 1965, and settled in Yate.
Rowling has a younger sister, Dianne.
When Rowling was just four and Dianne just two, the family moved to Winterbourne, Gloucestershire.
Rowling’s mother had a strong influence on her
Rowling’s mother, Anne, had a strong influence on her daughter.
Early in Joanne’s life, her mother’s support and also her sister instilled confidence and enthusiasm for storytelling!
Rowling’s mother was an accomplished and creative cook 👩🍳 who helped her daughters in cooking.
Later Anne took a job in Wyedean’s chemistry department.
The “K” in Rowling’s name is a tribute to her grandmother
Though born Joanne Rowling, she adopted a middle initial. It happened when Bloomsbury publishers suggested she use her initials on her Harry Potter books📖 instead of her full name to attract boy readers!
At that time, she decided to use “K” as she wanted to give a tribute to her grandmother Kathleen.
According to Rowling, “It was the publisher’s idea. They could have called me Enid Snodgrass. I just wanted it (the book) published.”
Also, the first book of the Harry Potter series was completed in 1995, typed completely on an old manual typewriter!
Rowling’s childhood friends had the surname “Potter”
Rowling resided in Winterbourne, just outside of Bristol. During that time, she said that she became friends with a sister and brother👫 who had the surname Potter! Interesting, right?
She always liked their name to hers and admitted that kids used to tease her with nicknames like “rolling pin.”
Rowling’s Harry Potter manuscript was rejected 12 times
The first manuscript of Harry Potter and the Philosophers’ Stone was written by Rowling while sitting in small cafes around Edinburgh.
She resided there with her daughter, and they survived off of government benefits.
Being really excited about the work, Rowling bound it up into a folder and sent it off to a publishing agent.
She believed that the person could bring it to the rest of the world.
However, later she told how she was sent back with nothing but a slip that was written that the agent’s list was full and they were not interested in her book.
Rowling had to struggle in life before her work picked up
While Rowling was completing Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Rowling and her daughter Jessica were struggling in Edinburgh.
The reason was that the author didn’t have a stable income at that time.
Initially, she penned her ideas for her story about Harry Potter on a napkin, while in 1990, she was on a delayed train from Manchester to London.
Later, those ideas were developed into a mega project! Really impressive, right?
The train holds a very special place in Rowling’s heart
As Harry Potter fans, we all know that King’s Cross Station 🚉 is actually the magical entrance to the Wizarding World, right?
However, the train also holds a personal and special significance for Rowling, as her parents James and Anne, first met on a train going from the station! At that time, they were just 18!
After one year, the couple got married and were together until Anne’s death.
So, Rowling said, “For me…King’s Cross Station is a very, very romantic place, probably the most romantic station, purely because my parents met here.”
Rowling based the character of Hermoine on herself
Rowling said in an interview with Amazon, “Mostly, real people inspire a character, but once they are inside your head, they start running into something quite different.”
She further added, “Gilderoy Lockhart and Professor Snape both started as exaggerated versions of people I have met but became rather different once I got them on the page. Hermione was a bit like me when I was 11, though much cleverer.” 👧
Rowling suffered from clinical depression: Which resulted in creating dementors
Rowling became a mother when she was just 25, as she was involved in an unhappy and very short-lived marriage, or in her own words, “catastrophic.”
Her unusual circumstances plunged her into deep clinical depression for the survival of her daughter.
It was quite difficult for her to put her depression into words.
According to her, depression and sadness are different, as sadness involves feeling, while depression does not.
Later she put her depression into paper!
The dementors were hollow, torturous beings or creatures that devour the happiness of the living. Also, they suck the life out instead of creating.
Rowling was never a good student
Have you heard this interesting fact about Rowling?
Despite finishing his school and being admitted into college, Rowling was never considered a ‘remarkable’ student 👩🎓 among her peers and professors.
There was no inkling that she would be able to change the course of fantasy literature as we see it today.
One of Rowling’s professors remarked that Rowling was the kind of student who just gave as much as was necessary to get by.
This is because she liked to remain immersed in the works of Tolkien and Dickens and didn’t have much time to work on other things.
J.K Rowling is a philanthropist along with being an author
Rowling’s career didn’t stop with the publication of the final book of Harry Potter.
She has just published her latest book, Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination.
When she doesn’t write, she gets involved in charity work.
She has created two philanthropic initiatives that try to improve the lives of hundreds of people.
Rowling’s first charity was Volant, while the second was Lumos.
Lumos is a non-profit organization that works to make sure children can grow up in a caring and safe environment.
In addition, Rowling even supports a lot of other organizations around the world.
J.K Rowling’s most prized possession
Her prized possession is a set of first-edition of Jane Austen novels that she keeps near her at all times.
Rowling was an avid reader and grew up losing herself in the worlds created by some legendary novelists like Austen.
Those works both equip and inspire Rowling with the mind that is necessary for cultivating the world of wizards!
Also, while Rowling was suffering from clinical depression, reading became her chosen therapy. It even provided a required escape from the real world.
Rowling’s first book has a return of just 1500 euro
If you are a fan of Harry Potter books like me, then you will surely love this amazing fact about Rowling!
The advance payment for the first book of Harry Potter was just 1500 euro.
However, today, Rowling’s net worth is estimated to be almost $1 billion 💰. This makes her the richest author on the planet.
Rowling wanted the last word of the Harry Potter series to be ‘scar’
Rowling thought for a long tie to write ‘scar’ as the last word of the final book of Harry Potter.
At some point along the way, she changed her mind and let the final word become, “All was well.”
Rowling received the British Red Cross Humanity Award
Rowling is a billionaire; however, in 2011, she gave away around 70% of her net worth for various charitable works. Really impressive, isn’t it?
However, she is very generous in nature, and hence, she quickly handed over 100 million euro to charity.
Hence, in 2015, Rowling received the British Red Cross Humanity Award for all of her commendable charitable works.
Rowling even penned two sidekick books 📚 that complemented the Harry Potter series, like Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
The proceeds of both were donated to Comic Relief. The amount was over $22 million.
Rowling named her daughter after civil rights activist and author Jessica Mitford
Rowling wrote in the Telegraph, “Jessica Mitford has been my heroine since I was 14 years old.”
She further added, “When I overheard my formidable great-aunt discussing how Mitford had run away at the age of 19 to fight with the Reds in the Spanish Civil War.”
She also said, “I named my first daughter after her.”
J.K Rowling: The first female billionaire novelist
In the year 2011, Forbes offered Rowling the title, The First Female Billionaire Novelist.
It was when she officially hit billionaire status.
She was the first female writer ✍️ to achieve this, and it was definitely a big deal for the feminist movement worldwide.
However, due to her charitable gestures, Rowling was removed by Forbes from the list.
Still, she is quite respected in our hearts for her generous nature, right?
Rowling is quite obsessed with charm bracelets
To Rowling, there is no greater treasure than a charm bracelet.
She believes they are one of the most profound and personal collections a person can collect in their lives.
She herself even had one.
One night while residing in Manchester, her home was broken into, and a thief took her charm bracelet.
She thinks of it as one of the most vital losses of her life. It was significant enough to make her feel devastated at the loss of some important parts of her past.
However, the remarkable author didn’t get another bracelet to restart her lost collection.
The publishers of Harry Potter books gifted Rowling a charm bracelet
I am really surprised to explore this wonderful fact about Rowling! Want to know?
On the day of the seventh book of Harry Potter was released, the head of Bloomsbury Publishers gifted Joanne with a beautiful charm bracelet.
The bracelet was covered in silver and gold charms featuring iconic subjects from her books.
For example, broomsticks, a golden snitch, a Patronus stag, cauldrons, and a tiny version of the flying Ford car. Isn’t it interesting??
Rowling’s favorite sport is basketball
If you are a fan of sports, then you will surely love this surprising fact about Rowling!
Rowling’s favorite sport is basketball 🏀. Also, the game was the inspiration for the invention of Quidditch.
When brainstorming to come up with a name for the new game, she tried the names Bludgers, Snitch, and Quaffle.
Demands of Rowling about the Harry Potter movies
Little facts lovers, have you heard this unique secret about Rowling? No? Let me explain.
One of Rowling’s demands about the Harry Potter movies when drafting a contract was unique.
She demanded that the movies have to be shot in Britain with an all-British cast.
Rowling had to wear a disguise to purchase her wedding dress
Rowling had to take a disguise to go out and buy her wedding dress 👰.
It was in 2001 when she married Dr Neil Murray.
Today, Rowling and the doctor had a son and a daughter together.
She said, “I just wanted to be able to get married to Neil without any rubbish happening.”
However, Rowling did not disclose what the disguise was; in case, she grinned and said, “I need to use it again.”
Rowling’s favorite book she has written
According to Rowling, “My heart is divided three ways: Harry Potter and the Philosophers’ Stone, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and The Casual Vacancy.”
Summing up
So little fact enthusiasts, how are you feeling after knowing so many fascinating facts about J.K. Rowling! 😮!
We will be eagerly waiting for your feedback…as only after knowing your opinions can we start thinking about our future content!!
See you soon! 😄!
I’m a former teacher (and mother of Two Childs) with a background in child development. Here to help you with play-based learning activities for kids. ( Check my Next startup Cledemy.Com)
