The Reason 'Harry Potter' Forced J.K. Rowling to Become Robert Galbraith

Fans of the Harry Potter series all know who J.K. Rowling is, but some might not be familiar with her pseudonym, which she’s published multiple successful books under. Although the acclaimed author wanted to keep her new identity a secret, just months after her first novel, The Cuckoo’s Calling (2013), was published under Robert Galbraith, the truth came out. But why even use a different name to begin with? Rowling has a full explanation.

As reported by Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Rowling shared during a 2015 interview with NPR that Harry Potter fame forced her to think out of the box with her next non-Wizarding series. Before explaining the new identity, she was sure to clarify how grateful she was for Potter, saying, “I am so grateful for what happened with Harry Potter, and that needs to be said. The relationship I had with those readers, and still have with those readers, is so valuable to me.”

Rowling continued, “Having said that, there was a phenomenal amount of pressure that went with being the writer of Harry Potter, and that aspect of publishing those books I do not particularly miss. So you can probably understand the appeal of going away and creating something very different, and just letting it stand or fall on its own merits.”

On Rowling’s official Robert Galbraith website, the author explained how she chose the pseudonym, saying that “Robert F Kennedy is my hero,” and that growing up, she always wanted her name to be “Ella Galbraith.” After The Cuckoo’s Calling, Rowling (under Galbraith) went on to publish The Silkworm (2014), Career of Evil (2015), and Lethal White (2018), with all four books part of her Cormoran Strike series.

It goes without saying that Rowling is synonymous with the always popular Harry Potter series, so creating a pseudonym for her next endeavor seems like the right move.

This article also appears on Mental Floss.