This was no ordinary woman, however. At that time in the mid-1990s, Joanne Rowling had already conceived of a fantasy tale about a bespectacled boy with magical powers, which now is one of the most popular and best-selling series of books in the world. During that difficult period, Rowling often took her baby Jessica to local cafés in order to write Harry Potter, an idea she had for a long time. “I really don’t know where the idea came from,” Rowling once told the Boston Globe. “It started with Harry, then all these characters and situations came flooding into my head.” Rowling submitted the first Harry Potter manuscript to 12 publisher, and all of them rejected the book. Finally, a small publisher called Bloomsbury decided to print Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (later changed to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by the U.S. publisher Scholastic). After winning many awards, the Harry Potter book series gained international popularity. The fourth book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, sold 3 million copies in 48 hours in the U.S., breaking all literary sales records. The last book broke all prior records: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows sold 11 million copies in a day. In total there have been 310 million Harry Potter books sold. The series has been translated into 65 languages. The books have also been made into movies, which are very successful in the box office. Many people believe that Rowling helped spark literary interest in a generation of children that prefers video games and television to books. Rowling is also a notable philanthropist: she has donated money to charities such as Comic Relief, the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain and One Parent Families. _________________________________________ Glossary unemployed: adj. Without a job.
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