JK Rowling turns 60: The Harry Potter author releases a new novel

With a new crime novel due out in September – The Hallmarked Man , the eighth installment in the Cormoran Strike series, written under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith – JK Rowling has just celebrated her 60th birthday with more success than ever.

Out on September 2nd 2025! pic.twitter.com/wbJ7e7k33W

— JK Rowling (@jk_rowling) May 23, 2025

July 31st is not only the birthday of Harry Potter , his most famous literary creation, but also that of his prolific author.

Born in Yate, near Bristol, Joanne Rowling has had an extraordinary journey: from a single mother living on welfare – “as poor as you can be without being destitute,” she declared in a recent interview with The Times – to a global publishing icon , with a business empire valued at $1.2 billion by Forbes.

Her rise began in 1997 with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone , published after a long series of rejections and which became a worldwide success thanks to word of mouth.

The rest is history: more than 600 million copies sold , translations into more than 80 languages, and a box office success that grossed $7.7 billion globally.

Rowling retained the digital rights to her books , founded Pottermore Publishing, and maintained near-absolute control over her fiction. Through strategic contractual clauses, she oversaw the spin-off films ( Fantastic Beasts ) and the theatrical production Harry Potter and the Cursed Child , which grossed over $1 billion.

The British author remains at the center of a bitter controversy . Since 2020, her critical stance on the transgender movement has led to accusations of transphobia and public disagreements with some of the series' stars, starting with the original trio of Hogwarts wizards: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint.

However, he has never backed down from his position and has continued to express his views in a combative tone on X, where he has more than 14 million followers .

Meanwhile, the magical world of Hogwarts hasn't lost its luster . The Hogwarts Legacy video game sold 24 million copies in 2023, making it the best-selling game of the year.

Universal has built theme parks in Orlando, Hollywood, Tokyo, and Beijing, increasing admissions by as much as 40%.

The Harry, Ron, and Hermione saga will soon be returning to television : a new HBO Max series is expected in 2026, faithfully recreating the seven original novels published between 1997 and 2007.

Rowling had extensive creative control over the project, including the casting of the young actors: Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton, Alastair Stout, with John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu as Snape, and Nick Frost as Hagrid.

Against all odds, Rowling has never been "cancelled." When a user provocatively asked her how she manages to sleep after losing so many readers, she responded dryly: "I read the latest royalty checks and the pain disappears instantly."

JK could have been much richer: alongside Rowling the businesswoman, there's also the philanthropist who has donated more than $250 million to causes including child poverty, multiple sclerosis, and domestic violence.

The penniless writer decided to stay in Scotland and pay 45% tax on her earnings , saying she felt indebted to the British welfare system: "I want my children to grow up as citizens of a real country," she once explained, "not as expatriates adrift in tax havens."