J. K. Rowling is the author of the bestselling Harry Potter novels, which have sold more than 450 million copies worldwide in more than two hundred territories and have been translated into seventy-four languages and made into eight blockbuster films. She has also written two small volumes, which appear as the titles of Harry’s schoolbooks within the novels: Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them and Quidditch through the Ages. Her Tales of Beedle the Bard quickly became the fastest selling book of 2008. As well as an OBE for services to children’s literature, Rowling is the recipient of numerous awards and honorary degrees, including the Prince of Asturias Award for Concord, the French Legion of Honor, and the Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award, and she has been a commencement speaker at Harvard University. She supports a wide number of causes through her charitable trust Volant and is the founder of Lumos, a charity working to transform the lives of disadvantaged children. |
