So for my next blog post, I will be writing about a pretty well known author, Joanne (Jo) Rowling. Most widely known as J. K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, Rowling thought of the idea for the best-selling book series in history on a train ride in 1990.   This series of books went on to win multiple awards and sell over 400 million copies. But how did the daughter of an aircraft engineer and science technician become one of the most popular authors in the world?

Rowling was born to Peter James Rowling and Anne Rowling in Yate, Gloucestershir, England, just north of Bristol. Her parents first met on a train departing from King’s Cross Station, the same station Rowling used as the gateway to the Wizarding World. As a child, Rowling would often write fantasy stories which she would then read to her sister. In her early teenage years, her aunt gave her a copy of Jessica Mitford’s autobiography, Hans and Rebels. Mitford became her hero and she read every book Mitford wrote.

As I mentioned before, Rowling came up with the idea of Harry Potter while on a delayed train ride. As soon as she reached her house, she began writing the first book in the series. Unfortunately, Rowling’s mother died before she could tell her about her idea. This loss heavily affected Rowling’s writing, as seen in the detail around the emotions Harry Potter feels about the loss of his parents.

Rowling finally finished the first draft of her first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, in 1995. The book was finally published in 1997. The following three years saw the release of three more novels. The final book in her seven book series was published in 2007, ten years after her first novel. The last chapter in that book was one of the first part of the series she had written, demonstrating that she always knew how the story was going to end.

In 2004, Forbes named Rowling the first person to become a billionaire by writing books, and the second richest female entertainer. However, Rowling lost her billionaire status because she donated immense amounts of money to charity; over $160 million. In 2013, she was named as the thirteenth most powerful woman in the United Kingdom.

In addition to the Harry Potter series, in 2011, Rowling announced her book, The Casual Vacancy, which was also very popular and was made into a television series. She also wrote other books under the pseudonym, Robert Galbraith. Her first book, The Cuckoo’s Calling, received many positive reviews. When it was discovered that it was actually written by Rowling, sales rose by 400 percent.

As implied by the loss of her billionaire status due to her donations to charity, it is clear that Rowling often gave money to charity. Rowling helped raise money for the International Fund for Children and Young People in Crisis. She has also donated a lot for the research and treatment of multiple sclerosis, which was the cause of her mother’s death.

J. K. Rowling’s books have sparked the imaginations of children and even adults throughout the world from the moment of their publication. In addition, her many large donations to charity have helped benefit the lives of many. What makes her story incredible is that she once had to love on state benefits, but within five years, she became a billionaire (until she donated it to charity). She still has an incredible impact on many people today. Rowling was asked about the time that someone had told her that Harry Potter greatly impacted their childhood. Rowling responded saying that she was incredibly humbled by the experience and said that knowing that she had impacted someone else’s life in a positive way was the only thing she needed to be successful.