Which newspaper first publicly identified J.K. Rowling as Robert Galbraith in 2013?

The Sunday Times first publicly identified J.K. Rowling as Robert Galbraith in 2013.

Rowling’s identity as the author of The Cuckoo’s Calling was revealed by The Sunday Times in July 2013. The newspaper’s report followed a linguistic analysis that compared the novel with works by other authors. Rowling subsequently confirmed that she had written the crime novel under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.

The revelation attracted substantial attention because The Cuckoo’s Calling had initially been marketed as the debut of an unknown former military policeman. After the disclosure, sales of the novel rose dramatically. Rowling said she had hoped to publish the book without the immediate expectations attached to her Harry Potter fame.

The episode is often confused with The Times because both newspapers are part of the same broader newspaper group and have similar names. The specific publication that reported the identity was The Sunday Times. Rowling continued using Robert Galbraith for subsequent Cormoran Strike novels, preserving the series’ separate crime-fiction branding.