As a little girl I loved to read, I still do. Just like most little girls who are book nerds, I was obsessed with the Harry Potter series and the magical idea of Hermione Granger. It wasn’t until I grew up that I realized my real heroine of the series was J.K. Rowling.
She wrote a story that was focused on school, best friends and had a female character that used her brain to get out of tough situations instead of acting like a damsel in distress. I like to think Hermione was written with Rowling, herself, in mind. Her writing and characters really created something that helped me grow and become stronger knowing I could become whatever I wished.
Rowling managed to create an entire world for her readers to escape to and somehow relate when there wasn’t real magic in their lives. She began writing the famous series in 1990 when other authors such as Michael Crichton, John Grisham and Tom Clancy were publishing top novels.
Somewhere in the time that she was teaching English, having a daughter, and publishing her first book she was creating something for young girls like myself to believe in. As I aged and began to look for what excited me it was writing, traveling, learning and being a strong female much like Rowling.
Her biography states that her publisher requested a name addition for the sake of interesting the male population. “The “K” stands for Kathleen, her paternal grandmother’s name. It was added at her publisher’s request, who thought a book by an obviously female author might not appeal to the target audience of young boys”.
No matter the reasons for the additional letter in her name or the fact that several publishers turned her away in the beginning doesn’t take away from the masterpiece she has created. She writes, has a love for the classics and exudes grace which are just a few of the reasons I look up to Rowling as a purely magical author and female role model. She’s my heroine.
-Bekkah Watkins
Junior Girl
Girl Museum Inc.