Harry Potter creator J. K. Rowling has revealed that she has a tattoo etched on her wrist but insisted it is not a marking inspired by the series which she said would be ‘ridiculous’ and ‘weird’. 

The British novelist, 54, who lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, was asked for any ‘little-known’ facts by a teacher on Twitter who was compiling a special project on the author for her students.

In response, the Harry Potter author tweeted: ‘Ummm…. my favourite colour is pink. I always play as Yoshi on MarioKart. I’ve just started re-reading Catch-22, which I first read aged 22. I got a tattoo last year (but not a Harry Potter tattoo. That would be ridiculous.)’

The author, whose full name is Joanne Rowling, was first seen in public with the tattoo, which is believed to be in her own writing, in December at the world film premiere of the HBO documentary Finding the Way Home held in New York.

J.K Rowling was pictured with the tattoo in December at the world film premiere of the HBO documentary Finding the Way Home held in New York

After sharing some ‘little known’ facts about herself online, JK Rowling revealed she had undergone the inking last year but did not reveal what the piece was.

One fan commented: ‘It would be fine to see the Harry Potter creator with a Harry Potter tattoo.’

However, Rowling responded: ‘No, it would be very, very weird. Like getting my own face tattooed on me’.

The Latin tattoo, believed to be in Rowling’s handwriting, reads: ‘Solve et Coagula’ meaning ‘dissolve and coagulate’.

The British novelist, 54, was asked for any ‘little-known’ facts by a teacher on Twitter who was compiling a special project on the author for her student ( Pictured at HBO documentary Finding the Way Home held in New York)

‘Solve’ refers to breaking down of elements while ‘Coagula’ points to a coming together.

The quote is rooted in medieval alchemy and is more simply defined as ‘separating and joining together’.

And it seems the quote underpins Rowling’s first Potter novel, The Philosopher’s Stone, which itself relies on the principle of ‘Solve et Coagula’ by turning base metals into gold.

Stepping out with the tattoo for the first time in December, Rowling chose a black tailored jacket and skinny black trousers which offered a glimpse of her wrist as she held hands with film subject Livya Dsouza.

Rowling tweeted that she had started re-reading Catch-22 and ‘got a tattoo last year’ but insisted it was ‘not a Harry Potter tattoo’

Rowling said it would be ‘very weird’ if she had a Harry Potter tattooed despite a fan saying it would be ‘fine’

And it seems the novelist is not the only one with her handwriting inked on her body, having also written phrases for fans to have etched on their skin.

Rowling tweeted a picture of the Latin phrase ‘Expecto Patronum’ meaning ‘I await a guardian’ in her handwriting, leading to fans having it inked on their arms and wrists.

The phrase is also a spell to fight dementors in Rowling’s third novel, Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban.

Rowling tweeted a picture of the Latin phrase ‘Expecto Patronum’ (bottom) meaning ‘I await a guardian’ in her handwriting leading to fans having it inked on their arms and wrists