JK Rowling moves up in authors’ rich list

JK ROWLING has climbed the Forbes’ ranking of the world’s richest authors but failed to steal top spot from US author JAMES PATTERSON.

As her Cursed Child stage play takes over London, the legacy of her Harry Potter books, including two Wizarding World theme parks, has seen Rowling leap from seventh to third place, although her estimated earnings of $19m (£14.2m) remain the same as for 2015.

Crime writer Patterson is the highest-earning author in the world for the third year in a row with $95m (£71.2m) pre-tax.