Joanne Rowling was born to Peter James Rowling, an aircraft engineer, and Anne Volant Rowling. Her early childhood was spent in Yate, and later in Winterbourne, Gloucestershire. Her sister, Dianne, was born almost two years later. The characters of Harry Potter were not yet dreamed of, but Rowling's imagination was already budding, as she would write stories and tell them to her sister.

Throughout her childhood, Rowling showed a deep passion for reading and writing. She created stories featuring fantastical characters and wrote her first book, titled 'Rabbit', when she was just six years old. Her active imagination and early storytelling efforts laid the foundation for her future literary success.