What Influenced J.K. Rowling:

J.K. Rowling had many influences from authors of books she read as a child and growing adult. They books include: Macbeth, The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Matilda, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Spider Man.

Macbeth
“Just as Macbeth murders Duncan after hearing the witches' prophecy, so Voldemort tries to murder Harry after hearing another prophecy — or at least a fragment of it.”

The Lord of the Rings
“Rowling has said she read The Lord of the Rings back when she was a teen (and only read The Hobbit after finishing Sorcerer's Stone). But fans of both series love to list their likenesses: Wormtongue and Wormtail, Sauron and Voldemort, dementors and Nazgul.”

Star Wars
“Just like Harry Potter, Luke Skywalker struggles against a dark lord — and, occasionally, against the same darkness in himself. And like George Lucas, Rowling had conceived her entire story before she began.”

Matilda
“Remember those piggish, loutish Wormwoods, who were so awful to their bookish daughter, Matilda? So do plenty of other Potter fans, who see parallels between them and the Dursley family.”

The Chronicles of Narnia
“Rowling read the first book as a child. And like that mystical wardrobe, her platform 9 — offers an everyday passage into another world.”

Spider-Man
“Harry has his own version of ''Spidey sense'' — his lightning-bolt scar begins to hurt when Voldemort is near.”

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter_influences_and_analogues

Awards and Recognitions

Over the years since J.K. Rowling has first started producing her series of Harry Potter books she has won many awards and recognized for her great writing abilities. Below is a list of the awards she has received and has been recognized for:

1997 Nestlé Smarties Book Prize (Gold Award) (9-11 years category) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

1998 British Book Awards Children's Book of the Year Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

1998 Carnegie Medal (shortlist) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

1998 Children's Book Award Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

1998 Guardian Children's Fiction Prize (shortlist) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

1998 Nestlé Smarties Book Prize (Gold Award) (9-11 years category) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

1998 Primo Centro per la Letteratura Infantile (Italy) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

1998 Sheffield Children's Book Award Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

1998 Whitbread Children's Book of the Year Award (shortlist) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

1998 Young Telegraph Paperback of the Year Award Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

1999 British Book Awards Children's Book of the Year Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

1999 Children's Book Award Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

1999 Guardian Children's Fiction Prize (shortlist) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

1999 Nestlé Smarties Book Prize (Gold Award) (9-11 years category) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

1999 Prix Sorciere (France) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

1999 Scottish Arts Council Children's Book of the Year Award Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

1999 Sheffield Children's Book of the Year Award (shortlist) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

1999 Whitbread Children's Book Award Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

2000 Carnegie Medal (shortlist) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

2000 Children's Book Award (shortlist) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

2000 Guardian Children's Fiction Prize (shortlist) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

2000 Sheffield Children's Book of the Year Award (shortlist) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

2001 Children's Book Award (shortlist) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

2003 British Book Awards Book of the Year (shortlist) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

2003 WH Smith People's Choice Award Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

2006 British Book Awards Book of the Year Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

2006 Royal Mail Award for Scottish Children's Books (best book for readers aged 8-12 years) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

2008 Booksellers Association Independent Booksellers' Book Prize (shortlist) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

2008 British Book Awards Lifetime Achievement Award

2008 Edinburgh Award

2008 South Bank Show Outstanding Achievement in the Arts Award

2009 Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur (France)

http://www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/?p=auth03D22J591912635584#prizes

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Childhood and Later Life

On July 31st, 1965 J.K Rowling was born in Chipping Sodbury, Gloucestershire, England. Her real name not abbreviated by J.K is Joanne Kathleen. Ms. Rowling has one sister, Di, who was born just about 2 years after her. While growing up her family moved twice. While at one of the homes she met the neighbors whose last name was Potter. She said that the children inspired her and that’s how she got the last name Potter for her stories later on. After finishing school, her parents encouraged her to study French at the University of Essex. After having spent a year in Paris, J.K Rowling graduated from university, she returned back home and took various jobs in London. Later on in life, J.K Rowling met her husband in Portugal; a Portuguese Journalist. In 1993 they had a daughter named Jessica. Not long after the birth of the child the marriage ended in divorce and J.K Rowling and infant Jessica moved to Edinburgh, Scotland. The reason she moved to Edinburgh Scotland was so that she could be near her younger sister Di. She is currently still alive and she is 44 years old.

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