After accepting J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone manuscript, Barry Cunningham advised her to ‘get a day job, because there’s very little chance of making money in children’s books’.
She made an application to the Scottish Arts Council. With a generous grant of £8,000, she was able to not only look after Jessica, but also focus on the next book in the series, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.