J. K. Rowling is 61 years old as of October 2026. She was born on 31 July 1965.
British author of the Harry Potter series, the best-selling book series in history, which began with The Philosopher's Stone
Did you know?She first came up with the idea for the series while sitting on a delayed train travelling from Manchester to London.
Quick facts
Date of birth31 July 1965
Age61
NationalityBritish
BirthplaceYate, United Kingdom
Occupationfilm producer, writer, novelist
Editor's Take:
J.K. Rowling turned a story about a boy wizard into one of the most successful entertainment franchises in history. She wrote much of the first Harry Potter book while a single mother in Edinburgh, and it was rejected by numerous publishers before Bloomsbury accepted it. The seven books have sold more than 500 million copies and were adapted into a hugely successful film series. Her stories encouraged a generation of children to read long books for pleasure. In recent years she has also been a prominent and divisive voice in public debates on sex and gender.
Key Milestones
1997: Publishes Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
2001: The first Harry Potter film is released
2007: Publishes the final book, Deathly Hallows
2013: Publishes her first Robert Galbraith novel
Joanne Rowling ( ROH-ling; born 31 July 1965), better known by her pen name J. K. Rowling, is a British author, philanthropist, producer, and screenwriter.