Born on July 31,1965, in Gloucestershire, England, Joanne Kathleen Rowling grew up in rural communities in the southwestern part of that country. Her parents, Peter and Anne Rowling, an engineer and laboratory technician respectively, bought books such as The Wind in the Willows to read to their two daughters. Rowling's childhood experiences shaped her future literary creations. She explored the English countryside, visiting castles and historical sites which inspired her imagination. Although she disliked science and mathematics courses, Rowling excelled in literature classes. She penned funny, fantastical tales to amuse her sister, Diana, and friends, especially the Potter siblings whose name she later appropriated for her wizardry novels.

As a teenager, Rowling dreamed of becoming a published author whose books were sold in stores. She kept her ambitions a secret, though, because she feared criticism and discouragement from people who might declare that her writing...