Today, Muggles and wizards alike are celebrating the 45th birthday if HARRY POTTER author, J. K. Rowling!
Rowling was born on July 31st in Yate, United Kingdom and lived an impoverished life before she made a big name for herself as the writer of one of the most beloved magical universes ever!
If you paid close attention to the books, you’ll also remember that Harry Potter’s birthday is also on July 31! Rowling did this on purpose which makes sense since Harry and his friends are just like family to Rowling!
In celebration of J. K. Rowling (and Harry Potter)’s birthday, here are some fun facts about the writer you may not have known!
- Rowling graduated from University of Exeter with a BA in French and Classics
While on a train to London, Rowling wrote the initial ideas and outline for the HARRY POTTER books on a napkin and typed up the books on a typewriter in various cafes in Edinburgh with her baby daughter, Jessica. Over the years, Rowling has worked for Amnesty International and as an English teacher in Portugal. Despite now being richer than the Queen of England, Rowling continues to work because she believes it sets a good example for her kids. Rowling’s full name is Joanne Rowling. She has no middle name, but took the initial K for her pen name because publishers believed that more boys would read her books if her gender was ambiguous. Rowling fell off of Forbes’ list of the richest people in the world because she donated so much of her money to charity, making her the only person to ever fall off the list for that reason.