More than 100,000 books worth a total of £600,000 have been stolen from libraries in Wales in just two years. Children’s books, novels and health books have been among those stolen or never returned to branches across Wales. They include the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling, children’s books by Roald Dahl and Jacqueline Wilson as well as novels by best-selling writer Terry Pratchett.
In Neath, Port Talbot, the top adult authors of books stolen were Virginia Andrews, Terry Pratchett and Iris Gower while the most popular books for children to go missing were by Jacqueline Wilson, Roald Dahl, RL Stine and JK Rowling. In Cardiff, the highest number of non-returned books for adults were by Terry Pratchett, Stephen King, and Martina Cole.
Joanne Rowling, better known and indeed, EXTREMELY well known around the world as JK Rowling was born in the town of Yate, South Gloucestershire in 1965. She is the most successful literary author of all time and her world-famous Harry Potter series has so far sold a staggering 380,000,000 copies worldwide and has been translated into over sixty different languages.
The English fantasy author, Terry D. J. (David John) Pratchett was born on the 28th April 1948 in the town of Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire. His was educated at High Wycombe Technical High School.
Stephen King, the American author of horror and fantasy books was born in Portland in 1947. His first writing steps were taken when attending the University of Maine, he wrote a column for the school’s newspaper.