Pen to Change the World (2026)

This biography of Joanne “Jo” Rowling presents the life of the author known worldwide as J.K. Rowling, creator of Harry Potter. It includes exclusive interview material with Rowling’s relatives, nearly 150 full-color photographs, five maps and a specially created family tree. Once a single mother writing in cafés and living on welfare, Rowling experienced a fairytale-like rise from poverty and obscurity to becoming one of the richest and most influential women in the world, before her controversial positions in the cultural and political debate over transgender rights made her a pariah in circles that had previously admired her. Author Solomon Schmidt spent years studying Rowling’s life and books, speaking with her reclusive ex-husband in Portugal and relatives who shared substantial memories and previously unseen photographs of Rowling and her family. His research also uncovers family secrets and autobiographical references concealed within her work, decoding them to reveal new layers in the Harry Potter books. The book follows Rowling from her childhood in rural England and her time in Porto, where she became trapped in a violent marriage, through poverty in Edinburgh to London studios and red-carpet premieres. It examines her experiences of abuse and depression, the devastating death of her mother, and her difficult relationship with her father, as well as their influence on Harry Potter, her later books and her decision to speak out on transgender rights. Schmidt also chronicles the writing of Harry Potter, including the creation of its iconic characters and the development of the seven-book series’ overarching story, together with the production of the Harry Potter films.