J.K. Rowling was publicly revealed as the author behind the name Robert Galbraith in 2013.
Rowling had published The Cuckoo’s Calling under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. The crime novel introduced private detective Cormoran Strike and his assistant Robin Ellacott. The book was initially presented as the work of a previously unknown former military investigator.
A Sunday Times investigation identified Rowling as the author several months after publication. Rowling subsequently confirmed the connection. She explained that writing under a pseudonym allowed her to work away from the expectations surrounding the Harry Potter name.
The revelation differs from the later use of Galbraith as a continuing author name for the Cormoran Strike books. The pseudonym remained attached to the series even after Rowling’s authorship became public. This fact is separate from her other adult novel, The Casual Vacancy, which was published under her own name.