Harry Potter author visits Romanian orphanages

J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books arrived in Romania Wednesday for a two-day visit devoted to raising money for orphans and disadvantaged children in Eastern Europe. Rowling recently became a trustee of a new Bucharest-based foundation called The Children's High Level Group, which raises money for children in need.

Rowling's earlier humanitarian work includes successfully lobbying the Czech government in 2004 to ban the use of caged beds in that country's psychiatric facilities. She was to visit Romanian orphanages to help highlight reforms in the country's child welfare system.

Rowling, whose wealth was estimated at US$1 billion (Ђ8.1 million) is writing the seventh and final Potter book. Global sales of Harry Potter surpassed 300 million last year and the books have been translated into more than 60 languages, reports the AP. N.U.