J K Rowling Autobiography and Her Inspiration to write Harry Porter

J K Rowling extreme life story from living on welfare to multi-millionaire status in five years is a classical rags to riches story. Joanne "Jo" Rowling used a neutral pen name J. K. Rowling when she wrote the first Harry Potter book because her publisher feared that the target audience of young boys might be reluctant to buy books written by a female author. See anything familiar to J.R.R. Tolkien who wrote the fantasy classic works The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings? What a great example on modeling a successful formula!

While Rowling was on a four-hour-delayed train trip from Manchester to London in 1990, she first had the idea for a story of a young boy attending a school of wizardry and magic. When she reached home, Rowling immediately started writing.

Soon after, Rowling’s mother succumbed to a ten-year battle with multiple sclerosis and died. This event affected Rowling’s writing when she injected sorrow and loss into her first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. In 1994, Rowling separated from her husband and with her daughter, Jessica, was unemployed and living on state benefits in Edinburgh, Scotland. During this period Rowling was diagnosed with clinical depression, and contemplated suicide.

Rowling finally finished her manuscript for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in 1995. The manuscript was rejected by twelve publishers, before finally published by Bloomsbury, a small British publishing house in London, England. The book started the whole series of Harry Porter books, went on to win multiple prestigious book awards & prizes, made into blockbuster movies, and started various franchises.

In 2004, Forbes named Rowling as the first person to become a U.S.-dollar billionaire by writing books, the second-richest female entertainer and one of the richest person in the world. Rowling is also very active in philanthropy, especially in the aid of women and children, combat poverty, social inequality, and multiple sclerosis research.

J.K. Rowling Personal Life Interview 

Dim lights

J.K. Rowling Deathly Hallows Q&A Interview 

Dim lights

JK Rowling on NBC (Part 1) 

Dim lights

J.K. Rowling on the Today Show (Part 2) 

Dim lights