» Quick Facts
In case you don't want to read the whole biography, here's a quick list of personal facts about Jo.
Real name: Joanne Rowling
Nickname: Jo
Pen name / Pseudonym: J.K. Rowling
(The name Kathleen has never been a part of her legal name. When Bloomsbury asked her to use two initials rather than her first name (they were afraid that the target group of young boys wouldn't buy the first Harry Potter book if they saw that the author was female), she chose K from her grandmother's name.)
Date of birth: July 31st, 1965
Place of birth: Chipping Sodbury (near Bristol) in England
Current location: Killiechassie House in Scotland
Husband: Neil Murray
Children: Jessica (born in 1993), David Gordon (born in 2003) and Mackenzie Jean (born in 2005)
Parents: Anne (passed away in 1990) and Peter
Siblings: Younger sister Dianne
Education: Studied French at the University of Exeter, on the south coast of England. Later said it was a mistake, but "on the plus side, studying French meant that I had a year living in Paris as part of my course."
Work: Began as a research assistant for Amnesty International after leaving the university. Later moved to Portugal to teach English as a foreign language, has also taught French in Scotland.