J.K. Rowling was born in Chepstow, Gwent in 1965. Her full name is Joanne Kathleen Rowling. Her writing career started at the age of six when she wrote a story called Rabbit. Since then she has graduated from Exeter University, worked as a teacher and been an unemployed single parent. Divorced and living on public assistance she wrote Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone at a table in a café during her daughter’s naps. When Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was bought and published by Bloomsbury in 1997 her life changed dramatically, the Harry Potter series has since then won numerous awards and become a tremendous success around the world.