--- description: J.K. Rowling is one of the leaders, innovators, activists, entertainers, athletes and artists who defined the last century. title: J.K. Rowling: 100 Women of the Year image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt10c14afc0a54bc8d/698a0aebb21a9ce1675033b2/social-1998_JK-Rowling.jpg?branch=production --- * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # 1998: J.K. Rowling Mar 2, 2020 6:02 PM CUT  Buy the cover art→ Buy the cover art→Illustration by Lu Cong for TIME by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 2, 2020 6:02 PM CUT In the fall of 1998, [_Harry Potter_](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0545162076/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=time037-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0545162076&linkId=70acd146ec2fd192d901c4b481f7fce6 "undefined") crossed the Atlantic. The wizarding world imagined by author [J.K. Rowling](http://content.time.com/time/specials/2007/personoftheyear/article/0,28804,1690753%5F1695388%5F1695436,00.html "undefined") already had a foothold in Europe: the release of [_Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets_](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0439064872/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=time037-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0439064872&linkId=d4033ec77da8727a20724866d4c25f82 "undefined") in the U.K. that July made it the first children’s book to top the British hardback best-seller list. Buoyed by the series’ success and critical acclaim across the pond, the first _Harry_ _Potter_ book debuted stateside in September to enthusiastic reviews. Before year’s end, Warner Bros. had secured the film rights, and the boy wizard was on his way to becoming a globally recognized brand. Two decades later, authors who cite Rowling as a creative influence—from Rick Riordan to Tomi Adeyemi—are power players in their own right, and the publishing industry has been transformed by Rowling’s unlikely rise. The billions of dollars _Harry_ _Potter_ made in bookstores and at the box office resulted in a surge in similar fare, from [_Twilight_](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316015849/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=time037-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0316015849&linkId=9cd7b12417f76c145d874e126f472022 "undefined") to [_The Hunger Games_](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008602KQI/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=time037-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B008602KQI&linkId=68c67104c36ca5e13906867f7707d985 "undefined")_._ Melissa Anelli, author of [_Harry, a History_](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416554955/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=time037-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1416554955&linkId=662a9abddbddd4979fe6c293cd1a0bdb "undefined")_,_ says the series proved to publishers that young audiences are “not just willing to read a book, but would follow the stories they loved to the end of the earth”—and thus, that young-adult literature is worth serious investment. _—Cate Matthews_ [**Buy the cover art→**](https://fineartamerica.com/featured/jk-rowling-1998-time.html "undefined") --- _This article is part of_ [_100 Women of the Year_](https://time.com/100-women-of-the-year/ "undefined")_, TIME’s list of the most influential women of the past century. Read more_ [_about the project_](https://time.com/5793734/time-100-women-of-the-year-issue/ "undefined")_, explore the_ [_100 covers_](https://time.com/5793732/time-100-women-of-the-year-covers/ "undefined") _and sign up for our_ [_Inside TIME newsletter_](https://cloud.newsletters.time.com/newsletters?newsletter%5Fname=INSIDE%5FTIME&source=article-woy-footer "undefined") _for more._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5793739/jk-rowling-100-women-of-the-year/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5793739/jk-rowling-100-women-of-the-year/"},"headline":"1998: J.K. Rowling","datePublished":"2020-03-02T18:02:28.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-24T08:21:48.048Z","description":"J.K. 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