Facts About J.K Rowling

- At school, her favourite subjects were English and foreign languages.

- She did well in school, and in her senior year was the top girl in her class.

- She is often called Jo by her family and friends

- The Harry Potter publishers, asked her to user her initials and add a middle initial, as they were concerned that as the book was aimed at young boys they wouldn't want to read a book by a female author. She chose that of her grandmother, Kathleen.

- Following its publication in Britain in June 1997, the book quickly became a hit with children and adults alike and won numerous awards, including the British Book Awards' Children's Book of the Year.

- In 2000, the 35-year-old author became the highest-earning woman in Britain, netting more than £20.5 million

- She received an OBE (Order of the British Empire), a medal of achievement awarded by the queen, in March 2001.

- The Harry Potter books have been translated into more than 60 languages, and it has been estimated that more than 300 million copies have been sold around the world.

- In February 2004, Forbes magazine estimated that Rowling had £576 million, or more than a billion dollars. This would make her the first person ever to become a billionaire from writing books.