Which grandmother inspired the “K” in J.K. Rowling’s pen name?

The “K” in J.K. Rowling’s pen name honors her grandmother Kathleen.

Rowling was born Joanne Rowling, without a middle name beginning with K. When Bloomsbury prepared to publish Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the company requested two initials for the author’s name. Rowling chose “J” for Joanne and “K” for her paternal grandmother, Kathleen.

The name was also part of the publisher’s marketing approach: Bloomsbury believed that some boys might be less likely to choose a book if they saw a woman’s full name on the cover. Rowling has said that the initials were not intended to disguise a specific middle name. In adult life she has used the name Joanne Murray during her marriage, but her literary brand remained J.K. Rowling.