The leader for today needs no introduction! It was compelling to talk about her today with our theme “Ghosts and Goblins” because she introduced us to the magical world of Harry Potter.

Yes, I am going to talk about Joanne Kathleen Rowling. She had a passion for storytelling and writing from a young age. She published her first book in Harry Potter in 1997 where she faced numerous rejections until Bloomsbury publications in UK accepted to publish it. But the staff advised that she should use a gender neutral name as people might not be willing to read a book written by a woman. It is sad, but we all know the book was a huge success and the rest is history.

What about her inspired me:

1. Creativity: Always had a special place in heart for people with creativity and vivid imagination. Because that is something that I lack. I am in awe of how she could create a whole another world.
2. Perseverance: Despite rejections from so many people, she did not give up. She was a single parent when this happened and she could have used her time elsewhere. But she continued to do what she loved. 
3. She did not want to use the fame from her biggest hit to sell more. She authored Cormoran Strike Series under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith because she wanted unbiased feedback and wanted to explore new dimensions without the scrutiny that came with the name “JK Rowling”. But I am disheartened to see that she still chose a male name in 2013. 
4. Philanthropist: She donated most of her earnings. She founded a charitable organization called “lumos” to help under-priviledged children and patients with neurological disorders. This is inspiring because she did not forget where she started. She was a struggling single parent trying to provide for her children.  She also lost her mother to multiple sclerosis. So she did not forget her roots; she is able to stay grounded even after all the fame and is able to give back to the soceity.

Based on inspirations from our beloved author, I encourage all of us to be creative, undeterred, humble and kind. 

— presented by Akila Nagamani