The phrase "spare time was at a premium" indicates that J.K. Rowling had very little free time available to her due to her responsibilities as a full-time teacher and a single parent. In this context, "at a premium" suggests that her spare time was scarce and highly valued, meaning she had to make the most of any small amounts of time she could find to dedicate to writing her manuscript. Despite her busy schedule, she made an effort to write whenever she could.
What does the phrase at a premium indicate about Rowling’s spare time?
Wherever she went, Rowling was armed with the manuscript. It grew and grew over the next five years, but Rowling wasn’t sure she’d ever finish it. At the time, Rowling was teaching full-time and was a busy single parent, so spare time was at a premium. However, every chance she got, she rushed off to write a few pages. Rowling admits that sometimes she actually hated the book, even while she loved it.
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