J. Ā. K.

Before becoming world-famous, she studied at the University of Exeter and later spent time in Portugal, where she taught English. On a delayed train journey from Manchester to London, she began imagining the boy wizard who would change her life.

That idea became the seven-book Harry Potter series, which grew into one of the biggest publishing phenomena in modern history. The books inspired films, stage productions, and a huge global fan community, and they helped make fantasy a central part of many readers' childhoods.

She has also written books for adults, including The Casual Vacancy and the Cormoran Strike crime novels published under the pen name Robert Galbraith. Alongside her writing career, she has been involved in charitable work, especially focused on children and vulnerable families.