Joanne Rowling

Today, Joanne "Jo" Rowling (J. K. Rowling) will be celebrating her forty-sixth birthday as well as the success of the final Harry Potter film, which is well worth watching if you haven't already. The British author began writing the stories of the infamous Harry Potter in the early 90s in a cafe in Edinburgh with baby Jessica, her daughter, sleeping in a pushchair. The idea of the series was born an a train journey to London. Her financial struggles of the time did not allow her to foresee the fame and recognition she has received from her fantasy stories, which have sold over 400,000,000 copies. The first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, was first printed in 1997, with only 1,000 copies and was translated to screen in 2001 (a whole DECADE ago!), with a young Daniel Radcliffe bringing her protagonist to life.

FUN FACT: Although her name is simple Joanne Rowling, publishers feared that her target audience, young boys, would not want to read a book written by a woman. Subsequently, publishers demanded Rowling use two initials as opposed to her name, adding anonymity to her gender. However, a dilemma appeared, as Rowling had no second name. She choose to use the letter "K", after her grandmother, Kathleen Rowling.

Rowling's "rags to riches" wealth and fortune has allowed the author to become a notable philanthropist who has supported and raised money for many issues including issues which have affected her personal life, such as single parenthood, making her a symbol for social justice and an inspiring mentor. Personally, I didn't enjoy the Harry Potter series as much as the majority, however, I admire Rowling for what she has achieved, given her circumstances , as well as her campaigns for the charities in which she has helped. For this reason, I dedicate this post to her and her achievements.

"I think you have a moral responsibility when you've been given far more than you need, to do wise things with it and give intelligently." - J. K. Rowling