J K Rowling Popular Books

J K Rowling Biography & Facts

Joanne Rowling ( "rolling"; born 31 July 1965), better known by her pen name J. K. Rowling, is a British author and philanthropist. She wrote Harry Potter, a seven-volume fantasy series published from 1997 to 2007. The series has sold over 600 million copies, been translated into 84 languages, and spawned a global media franchise including films and video games. The Casual Vacancy (2012) was her first novel for adults. She writes Cormoran Strike, an ongoing crime fiction series, under the alias Robert Galbraith. Born in Yate, Gloucestershire, Rowling was working as a researcher and bilingual secretary for Amnesty International in 1990 when she conceived the idea for the Harry Potter series while on a delayed train from Manchester to London. The seven-year period that followed saw the death of her mother, the birth of her first child, divorce from her first husband, and relative poverty until the first novel in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, was published in 1997. Six sequels followed, and by 2008, Forbes had named her the world's highest-paid author. Rowling concluded the Harry Potter series with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007). The novels follow a boy called Harry Potter as he attends Hogwarts (a school for wizards), and battles Lord Voldemort. Death and the divide between good and evil are the central themes of the series. Its influences include Bildungsroman (the coming-of-age genre), school stories, fairy tales, and Christian allegory. The series revived fantasy as a genre in the children's market, spawned a host of imitators, and inspired an active fandom. Critical reception has been more mixed. Many reviewers see Rowling's writing as conventional; some regard her portrayal of gender and social division as regressive. There were also religious debates over the Harry Potter series. Rowling has won many accolades for her work. She has received an OBE and was made a Companion of Honour for services to literature and philanthropy. Harry Potter brought her wealth and recognition, which she has used to advance philanthropic endeavours and political causes. She co-founded the charity Lumos and established the Volant Charitable Trust, named after her mother. Rowling's charitable giving centres on medical causes and supporting at-risk women and children. In politics, she has donated to Britain's Labour Party and opposed Scottish independence and Brexit. She has publicly expressed her opinions on transgender people and related civil rights since 2017. These views have been described as transphobic by critics and LGBT rights organisations. They have divided feminists, fuelled debates on freedom of speech, and cancel culture, and prompted declarations of support for transgender people from the literary, arts, and culture sectors. Name Although she writes under the pen name J. K. Rowling, before her remarriage her name was Joanne Rowling, or Jo. At birth, she had no middle name. Staff at Bloomsbury Publishing asked that she use two initials rather than her full name, anticipating that young boys – their target audience – would not want to read a book written by a woman. She chose K (for Kathleen) as the second initial of her pen name, from her paternal grandmother, and because of the ease of pronunciation of two consecutive letters. Following her 2001 remarriage, she has sometimes used the name Joanne Murray when conducting personal business. Life and career Early life and family Joanne Rowling was born on 31 July 1965 at Cottage Hospital in Yate, Gloucestershire, to a middle-class family. Her parents Anne (née Volant) and Peter ("Pete") James Rowling had met the previous year on a train, sharing a trip from King's Cross station, London, to their naval postings at Arbroath, Scotland. Anne was with the Wrens and Pete was with the Royal Navy. Pete was the son of a machine-tool setter who later opened a grocery shop. They left the navy life and sought a country home to raise the baby they were expecting, and married on 14 March 1965 when both were 19. The Rowlings settled in Yate, where Pete started work as an assembly-line production worker at the Bristol Siddeley factory. The company became part of Rolls-Royce, and he worked his way into management as a chartered engineer. Anne later worked as a science technician. Neither Anne nor Pete attended university.Joanne is two years older than her sister, Dianne. When Joanne was four, the family moved to Winterbourne, Gloucestershire. She began at St Michael's Church of England Primary School in Winterbourne when she was five. The Rowlings lived near a family called Potter – a name Joanne always liked. Anne loved to read and their homes were filled with books. Pete read The Wind in the Willows to his daughters, while Anne introduced them to the animals in Richard Scarry's books. Joanne's first attempt at writing, a story called "Rabbit" composed when she was six, was inspired by Scarry's creatures.When Rowling was about nine, the family purchased the historic Church Cottage in Tutshill. In 1974, Rowling began attending the nearby Church of England School. Biographer Sean Smith describes her teacher as a "battleaxe" who "struck fear into the hearts of the children"; she seated Rowling in "dunces' row" after she performed poorly on an arithmetic test. In 1975, Rowling joined a Brownies pack. Its special events and parties, and the pack groups (Fairies, Pixies, Sprites, Elves, Gnomes and Imps) provided a magical world away from her stern teacher. When she was eleven or twelve, she wrote a short story, "The Seven Cursed Diamonds". She later described herself during this period as "the epitome of a bookish child – short and squat, thick National Health glasses, living in a world of complete daydreams". Secondary school and university Rowling's secondary school was Wyedean School and College, a state school she began attending at the age of eleven and where she was bullied. Rowling was inspired by her favourite teacher, Lucy Shepherd, who taught the importance of structure and precision in writing. Smith writes that Rowling "craved to play heavy electric guitar", and describes her as "intelligent yet shy". Her teacher Dale Neuschwander was impressed by her imagination. When she was a young teenager, Rowling's great-aunt gave her Hons and Rebels, the autobiography of the civil rights activist Jessica Mitford. Mitford became Rowling's heroine, and she read all her books.Anne had a strong influence on her daughter. Early in Rowling's life, the support of her mother and sister instilled confidence and enthusiasm for storytelling. Anne was a creative and accomplished cook, who helped lead her daughters' Brownie activities, and took a job in the chemistry department at Wyedean while her daughters were there. The three walked to and from school, sharing stories about their day, more like sisters than mother and daughters. John Nettleship, the head of science at Wyedean, described Anne as "absolutely bri.... Discover the J K Rowling popular books. Find the top 100 most popular J K Rowling books.

Best Seller J K Rowling Books of 2024

  • Our World synopsis, comments

    Our World

    Little Mix

    Celebrate Little Mix's first UK numberone album Glory Days by reading the full story of the girls' astonishing rise to pop super stardom. Our World is full of exclusive photos an...

  • Hellbound synopsis, comments

    Hellbound

    Giacometti & Ravenne

    The third volume in the millioncopy bestselling Nazi spy series for fans of Dan Brown, Steve Berry and Wilbur Smith.'I can't wait to read the next instalment!' Kindle customer, Ama...

  • Island of Fire synopsis, comments

    Island of Fire

    Lisa McMann

    The fate of Artimé is at stakeand an unlikely alliance could redeem itin book three in the New York Times bestselling Unwanteds series.The magical world of Artimé is gone. The Unwa...

  • Harry, A History - Enhanced with Videos and Exclusive J.K. Rowling Interview synopsis, comments

    Harry, A History - Enhanced with Videos and Exclusive J.K. Rowling Interview

    Melissa Anelli

    A new enhanced ebook edition, featuring an extended transcript from Melissa Anelli's exclusive interview with J. K. Rowling; a new, updated chapter; and special videos made just fo...

  • The Haunting of Drearcliff Grange School synopsis, comments

    The Haunting of Drearcliff Grange School

    Kim Newman

    The stunning new novel starring the superpowered Amy Thomsett from the acclaimed author of Anno DraculaOf course, Drearcliff Grange School was haunted.Amy Thomsett the girl who fl...

  • J.K. Rowling synopsis, comments

    J.K. Rowling

    Marina Lenti

    “Mentre in una bella giornata del giugno 1990 viaggia su un treno diretto da Manchester a Londra, durante una sosta forzata a causa di un guasto la ragazza si ritrova a guardare an...

  • Very Good Lives synopsis, comments

    Very Good Lives

    J.K. Rowling & Joel Holland

    J.K. Rowling, one of the world's most inspiring writers, shares her wisdom and advice.In 2008, J.K. Rowling delivered a deeply affecting commencement speech at Harvard University. ...

  • The New Puritans synopsis, comments

    The New Puritans

    Andrew Doyle

    'A sober but devastating skewering of cancel culture and the moral certainties it shares with religious fundamentalism' Sunday Times Engaging, incisive and acute, The New Puritans ...

  • J.K. Rowling A Short Unauthorized Biography synopsis, comments

    J.K. Rowling A Short Unauthorized Biography

    Fame Life Bios

    J.K. Rowling: A Short Unauthorized Biography is a short unauthorized biography produced from electronic resources researched that includes significant events and career milestones....

  • Inventing Joy synopsis, comments

    Inventing Joy

    Joy Mangano

    NATIONAL BESTSELLER “It was an honor to play Joy on the big screenshe’s such a fearless woman, an incredible business force and an inspiration to everyone she meets.” Jennifer Lawr...

  • Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Summary synopsis, comments

    Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Summary

    EZ-Summary

    Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Book 8 A Complete Summary The storyline is presented as a play, which means it is in third person from an omniscient view. That view is limited...

  • The Crime at Black Dudley synopsis, comments

    The Crime at Black Dudley

    Margery Allingham

    Classic Crime from the Golden Age, the first in the Albert Campion Series. Margery Allingham is J.K. Rowling's favourite Golden Age author. George Abbershaw is set for a soci...

  • The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures synopsis, comments

    The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures

    John Matthews & Caitlin Matthews

    From unicorns and trolls to werewolves and griffins, this comprehensive guide is the key to discovering every magical creature from myth, folklore and legend around the world.This ...

  • Harry Potter Y La Piedra Filosofal por J. K. Rowling Resumen synopsis, comments

    Harry Potter Y La Piedra Filosofal por J. K. Rowling Resumen

    Turbo-Academia

    Harry Potter Y La Piedra Filosofal por J. K. Rowling Resumen "Harry Potter y la Piedra Filosofal": Un Viaje Mágico a la Imaginación "Harry Potter y la Piedra Filosofal" es una nov...

  • J. K. Rowling synopsis, comments

    J. K. Rowling

    Peggy Huey & Cynthia Hallett

    J. K. Rowling's popular series of books about the boy wizard Harry Potter has captivated readers of all ages around the world. Selling more than 400 million copies, and adapted...

  • How Harry Cast His Spell synopsis, comments

    How Harry Cast His Spell

    John Granger

    More than any other book of the last fifty years (and perhaps ever), the Harry Potter novels have captured the imagination of children and adults around the world. Yet no one has e...

  • The Eve Illusion synopsis, comments

    The Eve Illusion

    Giovanna Fletcher & Tom Fletcher

    THE SECOND BOOK IN THE BESTSELLING EVE OF MAN TRILOGY AND NO. 1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER EVE AND BRAM HAVE ESCAPED, BUT CAN THEY SURVIVE? Eve is the last girl on earth.For the las...

  • The Super Cool Science of Harry Potter synopsis, comments

    The Super Cool Science of Harry Potter

    Mark Brake

    Discover the scientific secrets of Harry, Hermione, Ron, Dumbledore, and more in J. K. Rowling’s universe.Moviegoers and young readers the world over have been spellbound by the ta...

  • Trans synopsis, comments

    Trans

    Helen Joyce

    THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER and a Times, Spectator and Observer Book of the Year 2021‘In the first decade of this century, it was unthinkable that a gendercritical book could even...

  • Island of Silence synopsis, comments

    Island of Silence

    Lisa McMann

    The second book in the middlegrade dystopian fantasy series that Kirkus Reviews calls “The Hunger Games meets Harry Potter,” by New York Times bestselling author Lisa McMann.Follow...

  • The Unwanteds synopsis, comments

    The Unwanteds

    Lisa McMann

    A riveting middlegrade dystopian novel from New York Times bestselling Wake author Lisa McMann that Kirkus Reviews calls “The Hunger Games meets Harry Potter.”Every year in Quill, ...

  • The Visibles synopsis, comments

    The Visibles

    Sara Shepard

    This #1 New York Times bestselling author of the “spinechilling thriller that blurs the lines of fact and fiction” (Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author) The Elizas weave...

  • J.K Rowling synopsis, comments

    J.K Rowling

    Bonalletra Alcompás

    La mayoría de los héroes que conocemos son seres extraordinarios con poderes mágicos y una capa ondeando en sus hombros. Pero también existen héroes de carne y hueso, tan humanos c...

  • The Creative Curve synopsis, comments

    The Creative Curve

    Allen Gannett

    Big data entrepreneur Allen Gannett overturns the mythology around creative genius, and reveals the science and secrets behind achieving breakout commercial success in any field. &...

  • Murder Before Evensong synopsis, comments

    Murder Before Evensong

    The Reverend Richard Coles

    "I've been waiting for a novel with vicars, rude old ladies, murder and sausage dogs... et voila!" Dawn FrenchThis first in a new series is a charming, warm and witty tale of secre...

  • Cancel This Book synopsis, comments

    Cancel This Book

    Dan Kovalik

    Examining a phenomenon that is sweeping the country, Cancel This Book shines the spotlight on the suppression of open and candid debate.    The public shaming of ind...