JK Rowling Quiz That Will Test Your Knowledge Of The Author

JK Rowling is the reason why we have the incredible Harry Potter universe. Her mind is what brought Harry and the other incredible characters to life. It started as a book and snowballed into a major movie franchise that fans will be watching for decades to come. We have put together a JK Rowling quiz to see how much you know about her. This includes some Harry Potter questions but also some stuff about Rowling’s other work. We have also included some additional facts about her at the end.

The Ultimate JK Rowling Quiz

Instructions: All you have to do is answer the questions below and it will let you know how you scored at the very end.

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JK Rowling Quiz: Questions & Answers

Here are some more details on the quiz answers (but make sure to only read AFTER you have taken the quiz). If you answered any of the trivia questions wrong, this will help you out.

1) What does the J in JK Rowling stand for?

JK Rowling’s real name is Joanne Rowling. The ‘K’ isn’t actually her middle name and stands for Kathleen, which was her Grandmother’s name. She later revealed that she used ‘JK’ because her publisher thought it would better appeal to both males and females if it wasn’t a female writer.

2) Which Publishing company bought the rights to the first Harry Potter novel?

Bloomsbury bought the publishing rights to Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The rumor is that Rowling was rejected by 12 publishers before Bloomsbury decided to take a chance on her.

3) What year was Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone published?

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was first published in the United Kingdom on June 26th, 1997. The next year, the book was released in the United States under a new name, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

4) True Or False: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was JK Rowling’s first published book

This is true as it was the first book that ever got published.

5) Which character did JK Rowling loosely base on herself?

Rowling has admitted in interviews that Hermione Granger is based on who she was when she was 11. The character is exaggerated but she based Hermione on herself in the early stages of the books.

6) Who does JK Rowling admit that she based Snape on?

Rowling has admitted that Severus Snape is based on an old science teacher of hers from when she was in High School. The teacher’s real name was John Nettleship, who passed away back in 2011. You can google his name and you will see that the resemblance is uncanny between the two.

7) How many children does JK Rowling have?

Rowling has three children: Jessica Arantes, David Murray, and Mackenzie Murray. Jessica is from her first marriage, while David and Mackenzie are from her second marriage.

8) What is the name that Rowling uses as a pseudonym for some of her other published work?

Rowling uses the pseudonym ‘Robert Galbraith’ for some of her work outside of the Harry Potter Universe. This includes the books: The Cuckoo’s Calling, The Silkworm, Career of Evil, and Lethal White. The reason why is she wanted her books to be judged by themselves, instead of piggybacking off the success of Harry Potter.

9) Which Harry Potter movie did JK Rowling make a cameo?

The answer is none as Rowling never made a cameo in any of the films. As a result, she isn’t like Stan Lee, who would appear in all of the Marvel films.

10) What year was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows published?

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was published on July 21st, 2007. As a result, Rowling finished her series in 10 years. The book series will surely go down as one of the most popular pieces of fiction in history and Rowling has a lot to be proud of.

Some Additional JK Rowling Facts

Here are some extra tidbits about her because I couldn’t find room for them in the quiz.

Rowling’s Life Before Harry Potter

1) JK Rowling was born on July 31st (1965), which happens to be the same day as Harry Potter’s birthday.

2) In an article on Pottermore, Rowling reveals that her parents first met at Kings Cross Station in London. Her dad, Peter, worked as an aircraft engineer and her mom, Anne, worked as a science technician. Anne passed away in 1990 after a battle with multiple sclerosis, which devastated Rowling.

3) During her commencement speech at Harvard in 2008, Rowling revealed that she knew she wanted to be an author at a very young age. While saying that, her parents didn’t think it was an achievable career that would pay for her mortgage or earn her a pension.

4) Rowling attended Exeter University in the United Kingdom where she earned a BA in French and Classics. She also took the entrance exams at Oxford University but failed to get in.

5) From around 1991 to 1993, Rowling reportedly taught English while in Portugal. During her time in Portugal, she married Portuguese journalist Jorge Arantes but they got divorced in about a year. Rowling’s daughter, Jessica, was born during this time.

6) Rowling worked as a researcher for Amnesty International after she moved back to London. During this time, Rowling revealed that she lived on welfare.

7) In an interview, Rowling revealed that she had suicidal thoughts during her time on welfare and considered taking her own life.

Coming Up With Harry Potter

8) Rowling reportedly first jotted down the idea for Harry Potter while on a delayed train from Manchester to London in 1990. She first wrote it down on a napkin, and later typed out the book using a typewriter.

How did you score on our JK Rowling quiz? Let us know in the comment section below and also share it with your friends to compare your knowledge! Also, make sure to leave us your favorite Rowling quote or tidbit in the comment section below.

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