A young boy and his two friends strive to be the best in the magical world. As they find their way through the mystical wizarding lands, they must find a way to defeat the evil lord, Voldemort, and his minions. This tale is the famous Harry Potter series, written by J.K. Rowling, a literary celebrity. The series has received numerous awards and praise from all over the world; it has even been turned into a movie series which millions of people have watched. However, the journey to writing this amazing book series was not smooth sailing.
J.K. Rowling was born on July 31, 1965, in Chepstow, Gwent. At an early age, she had always known that she wanted to be an author; when she was six years old, Rowling wrote her first book— a story about a rabbit and then later wrote a short story, “The Seven Cursed Diamonds,” at 11 years old. After attending St. Michael’s Primary School and Wyedean School and College, Rowling attended Exeter University where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in French and Classics.
At the age of 25, Rowling started writing Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Writing her book proved to be no easy start. Before she started writing the series, Rowling struggled to make ends meet. She left her three-year stint in Portugal–where she had a short, troubling marriage- and returned to England with a newborn baby and no money. As the years went by, she faced severe depression and even contemplated suicide. Rowling says, “I was jobless, a lone parent, and as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain without being homeless.” She was an unemployed single mother living in a rundown apartment with little to no money. However, she continued writing Harry Potter’s story on and off and regained momentum when she was back in England. Rowling wrote her first two books during this time and set her sights on publication. However, this was no easy feat; Rowling was turned down by 12 different publishers before finally being published; she even used a man’s pen name to get more readers. Surprisingly, when her book was finally released, it became extremely popular and a worldwide bestseller. Now, she works as an author and benefactor.
After she became famous, her life changed for the better. She remarried and is living happily with her family. Rowling founded a children’s charity, Lumos. She made this charity “to shine a light on some of the world’s most disadvantaged children.” The charity helps kids who need help with welfare, health, education, social care, and family support. Millions of people entertain themselves by either reading the Harry Potter series or watching the movies. Her stories helped bring books for younger readers into a golden age. Now, people can enjoy the wonderful world of Harry Potter because of J.K. Rowling.
