J.K. Rowling revealed that she was Robert Galbraith in 2013.
Rowling’s identity as Robert Galbraith became public in July 2013, several months after the release of The Cuckoo’s Calling. The novel had been published in April 2013 and initially appeared to come from a previously unknown crime writer. Its authorship was exposed after a linguistic analysis and subsequent reporting connected the book to Rowling.
The revelation produced a sharp increase in sales and confirmed that the pseudonym had been used to give the detective novel an independent start. Rowling said she had hoped to publish under the name for longer and enjoy the experience of receiving feedback without the immediate attention attached to Harry Potter.
The Galbraith identity continued after the disclosure. Rowling has published additional Cormoran Strike novels under that name, while biographies and official references identify her as the person behind the pseudonym. The year 2013 refers to the public revelation, not the later publication dates of the series’ other books.