10 Things You Didn't Know About JK Rowling

8. She Was Advised By Publishers To Hide The Fact She's A Woman

It's hard to believe it's almost been twenty years since the release of Harry Potter And The Philosopher€™s Stone. During the period leading up to publication, Rowling was advised to make her identity anonymous.

Why was that? The publisher feared that audiences wouldn't be interested in reading a fantasy story written by a woman. This ambiguity lead to Rowling's first ever fan letter addressing her as a man instead of a woman. It'd be great to hear what Rowling has to say about this now, as she's become a prominent, outspoken advocate for equality (and enjoys shutting people down with less than one-hundred and forty characters on Twitter).
Contributor
Contributor

Commonly found reading, sitting firmly in a seat at the cinema (bottle of water and a Freddo bar, please) or listening to the Mountain Goats.