“I shall never forget the African torture victim, a young man no older than I was at the time, who had become mentally ill after all he had endured in his homeland. He trembled uncontrollably as he spoke into a video camera about the brutality inflicted upon him. He was a foot taller than I was, and seemed as fragile as a child. I was given the job of escorting him back to the Underground Station afterwards, and this man whose life had been shattered by cruelty took my hand with exquisite courtesy, and wished me future happiness.”

British author, philanthropist, producer, and screenwriter

J. K. Rowling, born Joanne Rowling, is a British author, philanthropist, producer, and screenwriter. She is known for creating the Harry Potter series, and she was born under her full name before becoming widely known by her pen name. Her Harry Potter books follow a young wizard across seven volumes and became the best-selling book series in history, with more than 600 million copies sold. She also writes the ongoing Cormoran Strike crime fiction series under the name Robert Galbraith.