J.K. Rowling was born in Yate, Gloucestershire, England.
Rowling was born Joanne Rowling on 31 July 1965 at Cottage Hospital in Yate, a town near Bristol. Her family later moved to Winterbourne, where she grew up and attended school. Although her later writing career became closely associated with Edinburgh and Scotland, Yate was her birthplace.
Rowling studied French and Classics at the University of Exeter. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked in several roles, including as a researcher and bilingual secretary. She began developing the idea for Harry Potter during a train journey from Manchester to London in 1990.
A common mix-up is to identify Bristol or Edinburgh as her birthplace. Bristol is near Yate, while Edinburgh became important in her adult life and writing career. Rowling has also used the initials “J. K.” professionally rather than publishing under her full first name.