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5 things you didn't know about... JK Rowling

BY READERS DIGEST

1st Jan 2015 Meet the Author

5 things you didn't know about... JK Rowling

Have you ever wanted to know a little more about JK Rowling? Well, you've come to the right place.

 

JK Rowling is the literary hero of an entire generation. Her Harry Potter books brought a world of magic and imagination to life in the minds of millions of children, and still do to this day! 

 

1. She has the same birthday as Harry Potter!

That's right, she gave the main character of her extremely successful book series the same birthday as her. For those of you wondering, the date is 31st July - pop it in your calendar now!

 

2. Rowling was diagnosed with clinical depression

This can hardly be described as a fun fact, but it's a fact all the same. Rowling's depression even went so far as the consideration of suicide in those early days. In interviews, she's mentioned that it's where the decision to finally go about writing the Harry Potter books came from - because she felt she had nothing to lose, even if rejected by every publisher in the whole United Kingdom. It's also relatively well known now that the dementors (evil soul sucking creatures) are inspired by depression itself. If you've read the books, you'll understand this straight away.

 

3. Rowling cried when she killed off Sirius Black

In a TV interview she gave as part of the press tour for the Order of the Phoenix (the book in which Sirius Black tragically dies), Rowling confessed that she herself became very emotional even after simply writing it down. She walked into the kitchen and was asked what on earth was wrong, and just broke down! We can see why though, there's not a dry eye when we watch or read the end of the Order of the Phoenix. Why, oh why, did he have to die?

 

4. Rowling's first fan letter was addressed incorrectly

How is this possible, you might ask? Well, it has a lot to do with her pen name. You see, the initials JK were chosen as Rowling thought people might be sceptical of a wizarding book series written by a woman. The first initial is for her first name, Joanne, and she chose the letter 'K' in honour of her grandmother, Kathleen. As a result, the first ever fan letter she received - from a young girl named Francesca Grey - began "Dear Sir..."

 

5. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was written on an unusual contraption

Well, it might not have been unusual a good few decades ago, but today it certainly is. The first Harry Potter book was, in fact, written on a typewriter! This was after usually writing the novel by hand in Edinburgh cafes with her baby daughter by her side—a truly sweet story.

There we are, we hope you've learned something new about the wonderful author that is JK Rowling. Make sure you take a look at some of our other posts if you're thirsty for more knowledge!

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