Robert Galbraith

Robert Galbraith is the pseudonym of author J.K. Rowling, under which she writes the Cormoran Strike series of crime novels. While Robert Galbraith is not a character within the story, the surname “Galbraith” coincidentally or intentionally appears in the Harry Potter series, belonging to a Ministry of Magic official. The primary significance of the name to the Harry Potter universe is its direct connection to the creator of the wizarding world.

The “biography” of Robert Galbraith is that of a literary persona created by J.K. Rowling. In April 2013, the novel The Cuckoo's Calling was published, attributed to a debut author named Robert Galbraith. The publisher's biography for this persona described him as a former member of the Special Investigation Branch of the Royal Military Police who had left the army in 2003 to work in the civilian security industry (J.K. Rowling website). J.K. Rowling later explained that her motivation for using a pseudonym was to publish without the hype and expectation attached to her own name, allowing the work to be judged on its own merits and to receive unvarnished feedback (J.K. Rowling interview). The author's true identity was revealed in July 2013 by The Sunday Times newspaper. An investigation traced the source of the information leak to a partner at the law firm Russells Solicitors, who had confidentially told his wife's best friend. Despite the reveal, J.K. Rowling has continued to publish subsequent books in the Cormoran Strike series under the Galbraith pseudonym.

J.K. Rowling has publicly explained the origin of the name Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling interview):

• The first name, Robert, was chosen in honour of Robert F. Kennedy, a public figure whom she greatly admires.
• The surname, Galbraith, was taken from the name “Ella Galbraith,” which Rowling had invented for herself as a child when she wanted a more interesting name.

The surname Galbraith is used for a minor character mentioned in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

• This character, whose first name is not given, is a friend of Arthur Weasley and works at the Ministry of Magic.
• George Weasley identifies him as a member of the Committee for Experimental Charms and the inventor of the Self-Stirring Cauldron.
• It remains unknown whether this was an intentional Easter egg by J.K. Rowling, referencing a name she had a personal fondness for, or simply a coincidence.