Which name did J.K. Rowling use for the author of the Cormoran Strike novels?

J.K. Rowling used the pen name Robert Galbraith for the Cormoran Strike detective novels.

The first Strike novel, The Cuckoo’s Calling, was published in 2013 under the name Robert Galbraith. Rowling later confirmed that she was the author after the pseudonym was publicly revealed. The name allowed her to publish a crime series with less immediate attention from the Harry Potter audience.

The books follow private detective Cormoran Strike and his partner Robin Ellacott. They are set in contemporary Britain and use a different tone and genre from Rowling’s fantasy novels. The series has continued through multiple novels, with Robert Galbraith remaining the credited author name.

Robert Galbraith is sometimes mistaken for a separate writer because the books were initially marketed that way. “Galbraith” is the surname used for the publishing identity, while Cormoran Strike is the fictional detective inside the stories, not the author.