J.K. Rowling Then & Now: See Photos of the ‘Harry Potter’ Author

J.K. Rowling went from an aspiring writer to the billionaire author behind ‘Harry Potter.’ See her transformation in photos over the years.

J.K. Rowling is a British author best known for creating the Harry Potter novels, the best-selling book series in publishing history. She first came up with the idea for the boy wizard while riding a train in 1990 and quickly began jotting down notes. Seven years later, in 1997, she released Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Sorcerer’s Stone in the U.S.), which launched a global literary phenomenon. Over the next decade, Rowling published six sequels, ending the saga in 2007 with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

The books were adapted into a record-breaking film franchise, on which Rowling served as a producer, and they inspired the Wizarding World brand, including theme park attractions at Universal Studios, the Fantastic Beasts spinoff films, and the Tony Award–winning stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which continues to run worldwide in 2025. Beyond Hogwarts, Rowling has also written several crime novels under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, expanding her literary footprint.

To see more photos of J.K. Rowling through the years, scroll through this gallery.

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