We’re raising our goblets and sending sparks from our wands in celebration of JK Rowling’s birthday – yes, the woman who brought us Harry Potter was born this month 47 years ago. She didn’t encounter any Voldemort activity a year afterwards, mind.
We’re pondering what she might be receiving for her birthday – after all, appearing at Friday’s Olympic Opening Ceremony is a pretty amazing gift in itself.
But as a gift to you, readers and Harry Potter fans, here are 10 facts about the birthday lady you may not have known. Enjoy!
1As a child JK Rowling’s favourite book was The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge.
2JK Rowling insisted on using British actors for the Harry Potter films.
3JK Rowling and her husband (an anaesthetist) have no plans to stop working despite her multi million pound fortune, as she thinks working sets a good example to her children.
4JK Rowling goes on Harry Potter fan sites – she once visited the chatroom of popular site Mugglenet, and got told to keep quiet by regulars as she didn’t know enough about Harry Potter.
5JK Rowling typed Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone on a typewriter.
6After graduating, and before starting the Harry Potter books, JK Rowling worked as a researcher at Amnesty International.
7Before she finished the books, she let Alan Rickman in on the whole story, so that he could play the character of Severus Snape better in the films.
8Harry Potter and JK Rowling have the same birthday,
31st July
9Her preferred Hogwarts house would be Gryffindor (the same house as Harry, Ron and Hermoine)
10Her first fan letter was from a reader called Francesca Gray. She thought JK Rowling was a man and started her letter, ‘Dear Sir…’
