| J.K.Rowling was born in Chipping Sodbury, | | | | her own mother from multiple sclerosis. This was a |
| Gloucestershire 1965. She spent part of her childhood | | | | heavy blow to J.K.Rowling. It also gave her additional |
| in Gloucestershire and then in South Wales. At school | | | | empathy with her main character, Harry Potter. |
| she did well in English, arts and poetry, but did not | | | | It took several years for J.K.Rowling to finish the first |
| excel in sports. At the strong encouragement of her | | | | book in the series "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's |
| parents she took a degree in English at the University | | | | Stone " During this time she spent a couple of years |
| of Essex. This enabled her to spend a year in Paris, | | | | in Portugal were she briefly married before divorcing |
| although she later regretted not having studied | | | | after being thrown out of the house by her husband. |
| English. On finishing university she worked for several | | | | Through this first marriage J.K.Rowling had her first |
| years in London. This included a job with Amnesty | | | | child, which she had to bring up by herself on |
| International. | | | | returning to the UK. |
| J K Rowling and Harry Potter | | | | However despite having a full time teaching job and |
| The inspiration for writing Harry Potter came on a | | | | being a single mother J.K.Rowling eventually finished |
| delayed train journey from London to Manchester. It | | | | her first book and sent it off to book agents. After |
| was on this unremarkable train journey that she | | | | several refusals by big company's (how they must be |
| became flooded with the inspiration of; magicians, | | | | ruing their decision now!) the book was taken on by |
| Hogwarts, Harry Potter and magic trains. J.K.Rowling | | | | Bloomsbury, who at the time were quite small in the |
| tells how on the journey she didn't have a pen; also | | | | publishing world. |
| she was too shy to ask a passenger to borrow one. | | | | The book was released and immediately became a |
| However on arriving in Manchester she began | | | | big bestseller. It sold well not just amongst children |
| immediately on writing the first draft of Harry Potter. | | | | but adults as well. In fact the first book was later |
| These early writings got redrafted several times | | | | brought out with a special adults cover so readers |
| over the course of the next few years, but the | | | | would not be embarrassed with reading a "children's |
| characters and basic plot had already taken shape. | | | | book" As the Harry Potter series progressed the |
| A significant feature in the main character of Harry | | | | books became increasingly wide ranging in their |
| Potter, is the fact that an early age he gets | | | | appeal. J.K.Rowling has received numerous awards for |
| orphaned. He misses his mother and father a lot and | | | | her Harry Potter series. |
| this becomes an important theme throughout the | | | | J.K.Rowling finished the final and 7th book in the |
| Harry Potter series. By coincidence shortly after | | | | Harry Potter series in Dec 2006. The book titled "The |
| beginning the writing of Harry Potter J.K.Rowling lost | | | | Deathly Hallows" will be released in July 2007. |