J. K. Rowling

Do you know who J. K. Rowling is? Yes, of course, because she is one of the most famous writers in this world. She has written the phenomenal series that we know, Harry Potter. The Harry Potter series tell us about the life of one boy in the magical world. Many people say that this story inspires, entertains, and has much wisdom for our life. I also feel that in every book from all Harry Potter series. J. K. Rowling not only inspires and entertains from her book, but also teaches us to never give up in this life. “Everything is possible,” said J. K. Rowling from her story. It’s based on herself, from her difficult life until her successful life now.

J. K. Rowling, whose full name is Joanne Kathleen Rowling, was born in Chipping Sodbury, July 31st 1965. Even she had a happy childhood, she does remember getting teased because of her name, “Rowling”. J. K. Rowling studied at a school in Gloucester Shire, before moving to Chepstow, South Wales at the age of 9.

From an early age, J. K. Rowling had an ambition to be a writer. She often tried her hand at writing although little came from her early efforts. In her own biography, she said that her good friend, Sean, became the first person that gave her confidence that, one day, she would be a good writer. Sean was also the owner of an old Ford Anglia, which would later appear in one of the Harry Potter series as a flying car. After she finished the school, her parents encouraged her to study French at the University of Essex. But, Rowling preferred English to French. However, her parents wished for Rowling to study something “more useful” than English.

After she graduated, she got a job as a secretary in one company. But, when she was in a meeting, she didn’t write the important things from the discussion. She just thought about her imaginative world and wrote it in a piece of paper. Because of that, many companies where she worked fired her. In 1990, she had an inspiration of a story where Harry Potter lived. She was in a journey from London to Manchester by a train. But, the train was delayed for 4 hours and she didn’t have pen or a piece of paper to write her idea. In her mind, she constructed the Harry Potter’s world and the characters. When she arrived in Manchester, she began to write her book immediately. Along the writing of the book, she had some incidents. Her mother passed away in 1990, because of multiple sclerosis. She was so sad. She got married and had a child, Jessica, in Portugal. But her happiness didn’t last long. She got a divorce, and she returned to England in 1994, still trying to finish her book.

When she has finished her book, she sent it to various agents, and the quite small publisher, Bloomsbury, agreed to take the book. She didn’t think that her book would be a “best seller” in UK. Next, the American publisher, Scholastic, agreed to pay the rights for the American version. In 1998, Warner Bros paid for the rights to make the film version from the book. J. K. Rowling has stated recently, that on the 21st December 2006, she finished her final book of the Harry Potter Series – "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows". The book is due for release in July 2007. J. K. Rowling has said that the book is her favorite, and it makes her both happy and sad.

J. K. Rowling is a great writer because she works hard and never gives up. She always rises from her life problem and solves it. After she solves it, she studies from her mistakes before and never does them again. Her confidence and spirit can break all hindering walls. If J. K. Rowling can do it, why we can’t?