What pseudonym did J.K. Rowling use when publishing crime novels?

J.K. Rowling used the pseudonym Robert Galbraith when publishing her Cormoran Strike crime novels.

The first Galbraith novel, The Cuckoo’s Calling, appeared in 2013. Rowling chose to publish it under a pen name so that the book could be judged without the expectations attached to the Harry Potter author’s name.

The pseudonym was publicly linked to Rowling several months after publication. The revelation attracted major attention, but Rowling continued using the Galbraith name for later books in the series. Robert Galbraith is therefore a pen name, not a separate writer.

The Cormoran Strike books are written in collaboration with Rowling’s long-standing fictional detective character, Cormoran Strike, and his partner Robin Ellacott. They differ in tone and audience from the Harry Potter novels and are aimed at adult crime-fiction readers.