Joanne Rowling, known by her pen name J.K. Rowling, is a British author and philanthropist. She was born on 31 July 1965, and is best known for writing the Harry Potter series, a seven-volume fantasy novel series published from 1997 to 2007. This series has sold over 600 million copies, been translated into 84 languages, and has spawned a global media franchise, including films and video games.

Rowling also wrote The Casual Vacancy, her first novel for adults, and she writes the Cormoran Strike series under the alias Robert Galbraith. She was born in Yate, Gloucestershire, and worked as a researcher and bilingual secretary for Amnesty International when she conceived the idea for the Harry Potter series.

The period that followed saw personal challenges, including the death of her mother, the birth of her first child, a divorce, and financial difficulties until Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was published in 1997. The series concluded with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in 2007, and by 2008, Forbes named her the world's highest-paid author.

Rowling has won accolades for her work and has been appointed an OBE and a Member of the Companions of Honour for services to literature and philanthropy. She established the Volant Charitable Trust in 2000 and co-founded the charity Lumos in 2005, focusing on medical causes and supporting at-risk women and children.

Beyond literature, Rowling has been involved in political causes, has donated to Britain's Labour Party, and opposed Scottish independence and Brexit. Since 2017, she has been vocal about her gender-critical opinions on transgender people, sparking debates on freedom of speech and cancel culture.