The Ultimate J.K. Rowling Quiz

Estimated Completion Time
3 min
The Ultimate J.K. Rowling Quiz
Image: © Sion Touhig/Sygma/Corbis

About This Quiz

Just another quiz about a famously rich, reclusive and prolific writer who we all secretly think we could be best friends with. Take this quiz to see if your Rowling fandom is truly special.
What does the "J" stand for in J.K. Rowling's pen name?
Joanne
Josephine
Jamala
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Her given name is Joanne, though she goes by "Jo."

What does the "K" stand for?
Katherine
Kathleen
nothing — just "K"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Although Jo Rowling doesn't have a middle name, she borrowed her grandmother's first name for the initial.

Why did she choose to write under J.K. and not Jo?
She wanted the mystery.
The publishers weren't sure if boys would go for a wizarding book written by a woman.
There was already a Jo Rowling writing books.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Hmm, the boys seemed to come around even after finding out she was a woman.

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Rowling is:
Scottish
Welsh
British
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Rowling was born in England and was raised there.

Where did Rowling's parents meet?
Kensington Palace
King's Cross Station
a bowling alley
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Insert Platform 9 3/4 joke here.

Rowling's mother worked as:
a wizard
a stay-at-home parent
a science lab technician
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While she did raise Jo and her sister for more than a decade, she eventually went back to work in the sciences.

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What author did Rowling name her daughter after?
Jane Austen
Jessica Mitford
P.G. Wodehouse
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Communist-leaning Mitford sister was a writing heroine for Rowling.

Where did Rowling attend university?
Exeter
Oxford
Cambridge
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

She graduated from the posh college in Devon in 1986.

What university rejected her?
Harvard
Cambridge
Oxford
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Bet they wish they had that alumni money now.

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What year was Rowling first struck with the idea for the Harry Potter books?
1972
1994
1990
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

But Harry wouldn't be fully formed for a few years.

Rowling moved to Portugal briefly and worked as what?
a waitress
an English teacher
a journalist
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Her daughter was also born in the country.

Where did she move after returning from Portugal?
London
Edinburgh
Dublin
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

She still lives in the Scottish city.

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How much was Rowling estimated to be worth, in 2012?
$900 million
$4 billion
$400 million
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

But that was before several big projects, like the film of "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."

Before "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" was published, Rowling estimates how many people read it?
15
none
7
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

And that's including the editors and agent.

Where was Rowling when the idea for the Harry Potter series came to her?
in the rain
in a plane
on a train
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Trains, it seems, have played an important role in Rowling's life and stories.

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What did Rowling read from at the 2012 London Olympics Opening Ceremony?
"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"
"Peter Pan"
"Alice in Wonderland"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Almost as good as the Queen parachuting in.

Rowling's father auctioned off what in 2003?
an inscribed first edition of "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" given to him by Jo on Father's Day
a date with him
a date with Jo
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

They don't speak anymore.

Rowling used what assistance when writing the first Harry Potter book?
a transcriber who wrote down her story while she recited it
roughly 15 cups of coffee a day
government welfare
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Although the coffee part may be true too — who knows.

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How did Rowling write the first manuscript for "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone?"
typewriter
longhand
computer
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Which is a real pain if you want to make any changes.

How long did it take for Rowling to find a publisher?
about a year
ten years
three days
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Even the world's most a successful wizard took a while to get a publisher's interest.

What was the initial print run of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone?"
1,500
500
10,000
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Um, it sold out.

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Where does Rowling like to write?
her studio in the country
cafes
the library
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

She's traditionally done most of her writing in cafes and coffee shops.

What is Rowling's pseudonym for her mystery series?
Joe Garner
Jo Tipplepot
Robert Galbraith
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"The Cuckoo's Calling" was Rowling's first novel under the name of Galbraith.

Who revealed Rowling's pseudonym?
her father
herself
an acquaintance of one of her legal representatives
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The leaker was handed a lawsuit.

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Why did Rowling choose "Galbraith"?
it was a fantasy name she had for herself as a child
She combined the last names of two influential teachers she had.
She opened a phone book and randomly picked it.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Ella Galbraith" does sound pretty good.

Rowling was bestowed what honor in 2000?
Order of the British Empire
the title of "Lady"
the Pulitzer Prize
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

For her contributions to literature and arts.

What Harry Potter-related project is upcoming?
a new story about Harry's mother
a play about Harry's youngest child
a retelling of the Harry Potter story from Voldemort's perspective
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The play will tell a story of the next generation.

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In 2008, Rowling gave the commencement address at what university?
Harvard
Oxford
Exeter
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

She also received an honorary degree from the college.

"The Casual Vacancy" was Rowling's novel after the Harry Potter series finished. What is the setting of the story?
Hogsmeade
London
a fictional town in Britain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Pagford is a made-up village in southwest England.

What was the first screenplay Rowling ever wrote?
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"
"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them"
"Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Never having adapted a screenplay from her books, the 2016 movie is the first one.

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You Got:
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