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'''Sir Edwin Alfred Hervey Alderson''' ([[8 April]] [[1859]] – [[14 December]] [[1927]]) was an [[English]] [[officer]] who served in the [[British Army]] during the [[Boer War]], and later commanded elements of the [[Canadian Expeditionary Force]] during [[World War I]].
[[Image:Jo_rowling.jpg|right|thumb|Joanne "Jo" Rowling]]
== External links ==
'''Joanne Rowling''', <!-- DO NOT put Joanne Kathleen Rowling this is NOT her name. Kathleen only exists as the initial K, used on the books, read below --> [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]], (born [[July 31]], [[1965]] in [[Yate]]), commonly known as '''J.K. Rowling''' (pronunciation: ''role-ing'' as in rolling stone), is a [[United Kingdom|British]] fiction writer. Rowling is most famous for being the [[author]] of the ''[[Harry Potter]]'' [[fantasy]] series. Rowling's books have gained international attention and have won multiple awards. In [[February 2004]], ''[[Forbes]]'' magazine estimated her fortune as £576 million, making her the first person to become a [[billionaire]], in terms of [[United States dollar|U.S. dollars]], by writing books; Rowling is also the wealthiest woman in the United Kingdom, well ahead of even [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]] [http://www.forbes.com/2004/02/26/cx_jw_0226rowlingbill04.html] [http://www.forbes.com/lists/results.jhtml?passListId=10&passYear=2004&passListType=Person&searchParameter1=unset&searchParameter2=unset&resultsHowMany=25&resultsSortProperties=%2Bstringfield11%2C-numberfield3&resultsSortCategoryName=Country&fromColumnClick=&bktDisplayField=&bktDisplayFieldLength=&category1=category&category2=category&passKeyword=&resultsStart=301].
*[http://www.biographi.ca/EN/ShowBio.asp?BioId=42021 Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online'']
==Early Life==
[[Category:1859 births|Alderson, Edwin Alfred Hervey]]
Rowling's parents met on a train, coincidentally from [[Kings Cross railway station|King's Cross]] station to [[Scotland]]. Her mother was diagnosed with [[multiple sclerosis]] when Rowling was 15; she died in the early 1990s. Rowling also has a sister, Di, two years younger than she, who is now a lawyer.
[[Category:1927 deaths|Alderson, Edwin Alfred Hervey]]
[[Category:British Army officers|Alderson, Edwin Alfred Hervey]]
Joanne's family moved twice as she was growing up, first to Winterbourne in Bristol and then to Tutshill near Chepstow. She attended secondary school at Wyedean Comprehensive, where she told stories to her fellow students. She studied French at [[Exeter University]], spending a year in [[Paris]] as part of her studies. After college she moved to [[London]] to work for [[Amnesty International]] as a researcher and bilingual secretary. It was during this period that she had the idea for a story about a young boy who attends a school of wizardry.
Rowling then moved to [[Oporto]], [[Portugal]] to teach English as a foreign language. While there she married [[Portugal|Portuguese]] TV journalist Jorge Arantes on [[October 16]], [[1992]]. They had one child, a daughter named Jessica Rowling Arantes (born [[July 27]], [[1993]]), before their [[divorce]] in [[1995]]. On her divorce she came to [[Edinburgh]] with her daughter, planning to live near her sister.
==Career==
Rowling's publisher, [[Bloomsbury Publishing Plc|Bloomsbury]], wanted to use initials on the cover of the ''Harry Potter'' books, suggesting that if they used an obviously female name, the target group of young boys might be reluctant to buy them. Rowling chose to adopt her grandmother's middle name, Kathleen.
Rowling wrote two novels for adults, neither of which she attempted to publish, before she had the idea for ''Harry Potter'' during a four-hour train trip. According to her, by the time she reached her destination, she had the characters and a good part of the plot for ''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone]]'' in her head. She started writing during her lunch hours, and continued working on the manuscript throughout a stint in [[Oporto]], [[Portugal]], teaching [[English language|English]] as a second language at the Encounter English School. After an unsuccessful marriage, she returned to the United Kingdom with her infant daughter and completed the book in [[Edinburgh]], [[Scotland]]. At the time, she was unemployed and living on welfare benefits. The book was a huge success, and she has thus far published four sequels. The sales made her a multi-millionaire, and in [[2001]], she purchased a luxurious [[19th century]] mansion, Killiechassie House, on the banks of the [[River Tay]] in [[Perthshire]], Scotland, where she married her second husband, Dr. Neil Murray, on [[December 26]], [[2001]].
The ''Harry Potter'' series is expected to run to seven volumes, one for each year Harry spends in school. Five of these have already been published. The fifth book, titled ''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]'', was delayed by an unsuccessful plagiarism suit directed towards her by rival author [[Nancy Stouffer]] (see below). Rowling took some time off from writing at this point, because during the process of writing the fourth book, she felt her workload was too heavy. She said that at one point, she had considered breaking her arm to get out of writing, because the pressure on her was too much. After forcing her publishers to drop her deadline, she enjoyed three years of quiet writing, commenting that she spent some time working on something else that she might return to when she is finished with the ''Harry Potter'' series. The fifth book was released on [[June 21]], [[2003]].
In late [[2003]], she was approached by [[television]] producer [[Russell T. Davies]] to contribute an episode to the British television science-fiction series ''[[Doctor Who]]''. Although she was "amused by the suggestion", she turned the offer down, as she was busy working on the next novel in the Potter series. On [[December 20]], [[2004]], she announced that the sixth Harry Potter book would be released on [[July 16]], [[2005]].
[[Image:Jo_simpsons.jpg|right|thumb|JK on The Simpsons]]
Rowling has also made a guest appearance as herself on the American cartoon show ''[[The Simpsons]]'', on a special British-themed episode entitled "The Regina Monologues".
===The Harry Potter books===
*''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone]]'' ([[1997]]) (titled ''Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'' in the United States)
*''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]]'' ([[1998]])
*''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]'' ([[1999]])
*''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]'' ([[2000]])
*''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]'' ([[2003]])
*''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]'' ([[July 16]], [[2005]])
===Harry Potter-related books:===
* ''[[Quidditch Through the Ages]]'' ([[2001]])
* ''[[Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them]]'' ([[2001]])
The last two purport to be [[facsimile]]s of books mentioned in the novels. ''Fantastic Beasts'' is a textbook, while ''Quidditch'' is probably the most popular book in the Hogwarts library. They are complete with handwritten annotations and scribblings in the margins, and include introductions by [[Albus Dumbledore]]. All [[proceeds]] from them go to the UK [[Comic Relief]] charity. She has contributed money and support to many other charitable causes, especially research and treatment of [[multiple sclerosis]], from which her mother died in [[1990]]. This death has heavily affected her writing, according to Rowling.
===Harry Potter movies===
A film version of ''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (movie)|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone]]'' was released in late [[2001]] and ''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (movie)|Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]]'' in [[2002]].
A darker atmosphere was adopted in the film version of ''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (movie)|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]'', attributed to the new director, [[Alfonso Cuarón]]. Rowling, who was a fan of Cuarón's work prior to the third film, has stated that the third film is her personal favorite.
Rowling resisted suggestions by the filmmakers that the movies should be filmed in the United States or cast with American actors (only one American appears in the first film). She only reluctantly went along with changing ''Philosopher's Stone'' to ''Sorcerer's Stone'', and limited it to the U.S. only. Rowling's insistence on British actors for the main roles resulted in [[Steven Spielberg]] passing on the opportunity to direct the series.
Rowling assists [[Steve Kloves]] in writing the scripts for the films, ensuring that his scripts do not contradict future books in the series. She says she has told him more about the later books than anybody else, but not everything. She has also said that she has told [[Alan Rickman]] and [[Robbie Coltrane]] certain secrets about their characters that are not yet revealed.
== Lawsuits ==
Rowling has been involved in a [[lawsuit]] over the Harry Potter series, and other litigation has been suggested or rumoured.
=== Nancy Stouffer ===
In the late [[1990s]], [[Nancy Stouffer]], an author of children's books published in the [[1980s]], began to publicly charge that Rowling's books were based on her books, including ''The Legend of Rah and the Muggles'', and ''Larry Potter and His Best Friend Lilly''.
In [[2001]], Rowling, [[Scholastic Press]] (the American publisher of her books), and [[Warner Bros.]] (the producer of the film adaptations) sued Stouffer, asking the court to judge that there was no infringement of Stouffer's [[trademark]]s or [[copyright]].
Stouffer, who had not previously sued, then filed [[counterclaim|counterclaims]] alleging such infringement.
Rowling and her colitigants argued that much of the [[evidence]] that Stouffer presented was [[fraud|fraudulent]], and asked for sanctions and attorneys' fees as punishment. In September [[2002]], the court found in Rowling's favour, stating that Stouffer had lied to the court and falsified and [[forgery|forged]] documents to support her case. Stouffer was fined US$50,000 and ordered to pay part (but not all) of the plaintiffs' costs.
In [[January 2004]], it was reported that Stouffer's appeal against the judgement had been rejected. The appeals court agreed that Stouffer's claims were properly dismissed because "no reasonable juror could find a likelihood of confusion as to the source of the two parties' works". The Court explained:
<blockquote> ''Stouffer's and Plaintiffs' marks are used in two very different ways. Rowling's use of the term "Muggles" describes ordinary humans with no magical powers while Stouffer's "Muggles" are tiny, hairless creatures with elongated heads. Further, the Harry Potter books are novel-length works and whose primary customers are older children and adults whereas Stouffer's booklets appeal to young children. Accordingly, the District Court correctly dismissed Stouffer's trademark claims.''</blockquote>
Stouffer was also ordered to pay the costs of the appeal. A report of the judgement can be found at [http://www.entlawdigest.com/story.cfm?storyID=3094 Entertainment Law Digest]. The 2002 judgement can be found here:
[http://www.eyrie.org/~robotech/stouffer.htm ROWLING v. STOUFFER]
===''New York Daily News''===
In June of [[2003]], Rowling announced that she would sue the ''[[New York Daily News]]'' for $100 million because the [[newspaper]] had printed excerpts from her work ''Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'' before the book's official release date.
{{section-stub}}
== Family ==
On [[December 26]], [[2001]], Rowling married Dr. Neil Murray (an [[anaesthetist]]) in a private ceremony at her home in the [[Perthshire]] village of [[Aberfeldy, Scotland|Aberfeldy]]. On [[March 23]], [[2003]], Rowling gave birth to her second child, a boy called David Gordon Rowling Murray, at the Simpson Centre for Reproductive Health at the New Royal Infirmary in [[Edinburgh]]. On [[January 23]], [[2005]], Rowling's second child with Dr. Murray was born, fulfilling Rowling's lifelong wish to have three children. The baby girl was named Mackenzie Jean Rowling Murray.
== External links ==
{{wikiquote}}
* [http://www.jkrowling.com/en English section of J.K. Rowling's official personal site]
* [http://www.edupaperback.org/showauth.cfm?authid=70 Rowling biography]
* [http://www.rowling.info An introduction to J.K. Rowling]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2268024.stm BBC news report on suit]
* "[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/1670067.stm Potter creator buys Scots hideaway]" - BBC News article, dated November 22, 2001 (reference)
* "[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/2883095.stm Baby joy for JK Rowling]" - BBC News article, dated March 24, 2003 (reference)
* "[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/showbiz/2883059.stm Potter author has baby boy]" - BBC News article, dated March 25, 2003 (reference)
<!-- categories -->
[[Category:1965 births|Rowling, J. K.]]
[[Category:English children's writers|Rowling, J. K.]]
[[Category:English fantasy writers|Rowling, J. K.]]
[[Category:English novelists|Rowling, J. K.]]
[[Category:Harry Potter|Rowling, J. K.]]
[[Category:Forbes World's Richest People|Rowling, J. K.]]
[[Category:University of Exeter alumni|Rowling, J. K.]]
[[Category:Hugo Award winning authors]]
<!-- interlanguage links -->
{{UK-bio-stub}}
[[ar:جيه.كيه.رولينج]]
[[bg:Джоан Катлин Роулинг]]
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[[fa:کتلین‌ رولینگ]]
[[fr:Joanne Kathleen Rowling]]
[[he:ג'ואן קת'לין רולינג]]
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[[zh:乔安·凯瑟琳·罗琳]]
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