“One of the many things I learned at the end of that Classics corridor down which I ventured at the age of 18, in search of something I could not then define, was this, written by the Greek author Plutarch: What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality. That is an astonishing statement and yet proven a thousand times every day of our lives. It expresses, in part, our inescapable connection with the outside world, the fact that we touch other people’s lives simply by existing.”

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.