This is the definitive biography of the world’s most famous writer. J.K. Rowling's meteoric rise to worldwide superstardom and bestseller status is now the stuff of tabloid legend – how, as a single mother, she would spend hours in a cafe in Edinburgh, nursing a single coffee and a glass of water while she wrote the first Harry Potter novel that would bring her fame and fortune. Creator of the most famous and best-loved character in contemporary fiction, J.K. Rowling is also the author of her own escape from an unhappy marriage and a depressing existence on the verge of destitution. The acclaimed celebrity biographer Sean Smith goes behind the headlines and hype to trace the life story of this phenomenal woman who has brought joy and inspiration to millions of readers around the world. He also reveals many of the sources and origins of the books drawn from her early life. The film "Magic Beyond Words: The JK Rowling Story" (2011) in which the actress Poppy Montgomery played JK Rowling is based on this biography.