[212] Scholastic held a competition to select children's art for the print edition, which was published in the US and Canada on 10 November 2020. [257], While Harry Potter can be viewed as a story about good versus evil, its moral divisions are not absolute. [349][350] According to scholars, this shows that modern readers feel a sense of ownership over the text that is independent of, and sometimes contradicts, authorial intent. Johnny Depp play. [285] Other critics who see artistic merit in Rowling's writing include Marina Warner, who views Harry Potter as part of an "alternative genealogy" of English literature that she traces from Edmund Spenser to Christina Rossetti. The once-revered Harry Potter writer has irked her fans with the release of her book, titled Troubled Blood. He happened to have known two of the wizards for whose life's work Gilderoy Lockhart had taken credit, and was one of the only people in the world who thought he knew what Lockhart was up to. [184] A contemporary take on 19th-century British fiction about village life,[185] Casual Vacancy was promoted as a black comedy,[186] while the critic Ian Parker described it as a "rural comedy of manners". But hard as she tries to reclaim it, the Wizarding World is, in many ways, lost to her. [156] Secrets of Dumbledore was released in April 2022. [179] Her UK sales total in excess of 238million, making her the best-selling living author in Britain. As of January2022, St Michael's Primary School headmaster, Alfred Dunn, has been suggested as the inspiration for the. [237] Paintings move and talk; books bite readers; letters shout messages; and maps show live journeys,[236][238] making the wizarding world "both exotic and cosily familiar" according to the scholar Catherine Butler. At the time, Lynch spoke out and said in since-deleted tweets that "as a friend and admirer of [Rowling] I can't forget what a generous and loving person she isshe is still fighting for . Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale. [365] Rowling's charitable donations before 2012 were estimated by Forbes at $160million. J. K. Rowling's secret life as a wizard crime writer revealed", "This detective novel's story doesn't add up", "JK Rowling unmasked as author of acclaimed detective novel", "JK Rowling directs anger at lawyers after secret identity revealed", "Lethal White: JK Rowling reveals Strike release date", "JK Rowling announces fifth Cormoran Strike novel Troubled Blood under pseudonym Robert Galbraith", "The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith review: JK Rowling's Strike faces the social media trolls", "When is Strike: The Cuckoo's Calling on TV? [368][389], Rowling was actively engaged on the internet before author webpages were common. Misdirected faith and beliefs can be illusive and . [303] Discussing the slavery of house-elves within Harry Potter, scholars such as Brycchan Carey have praised the books' abolitionist sentiments, viewing Hermione's Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare as a model for younger readers' political engagement. Weve been urged to stop streaming Travis Scotts music following the Astroworld tragedy. J.K. Rowling born Joanne Rowling grew up in Gloucestershire, England, and always knew she wanted to be an author. [353][354] Rowling won in September 2002. [444] She rejects these characterisations. [46][47] Smith writes that Rowling "craved to play heavy electric guitar",[48] and describes her as "intelligent yet shy". [41] She later described herself during this period as "the epitome of a bookish child short and squat, thick National Health glasses, living in a world of complete daydreams". [157], By 1998, Rowling was portrayed in the media as a "penniless divorcee hitting the jackpot". She co-founded the charity Lumos and established the Volant Charitable Trust, named after her mother. [66][h], Living in a small town with pressures at home, Rowling became more interested in her school work. [129], Philosopher's Stone introduces Harry Potter. [129] According to her biographer Sean Smith, the publicity became effective marketing for Harry Potter,[129] but her journey from living on benefits to wealth brought, along with fame, concerns from parents about the books' portrayals of the occult and gender. [25][d] Anne loved to read and their homes were filled with books. [312] The series topped the American Library Association's list of most challenged books in the first three years of its publication. The seven-year period that followed saw the death of her mother, the birth of her first child, divorce from her first husband, and relative poverty until the first novel in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, was published in 1997. [5] The couple intended to marry that July in the Galapagos, but when this leaked to the press, they delayed their wedding and changed their holiday destination to Mauritius. [255] In Harry's world, death is not binary but mutable, a state that exists in degrees. Design: Cierra Miller/STYLECASTER. The 57-year-old author's new novel The Ink Black. [423][s] In another controversial tweet in June 2020,[427] Rowling mocked an article for using the phrase "people who menstruate",[428] and tweeted that women's rights and "lived reality" would be "erased" if "sex isn't real". Episode 1, "Plotted in Darkness," delves into Rowling's backstory . The book, and its series, told the story of Harry Potter, a young wizard, and his peers at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. May 18, 2020, 3:02 PM UTC The cryptocurrency world received a jolt on Friday when one of the world's most famous women expressed interest in Bitcoin. [308] Thus, scholars suggest, the series's message is essentially conservative; it sees no reason to transform social hierarchies, only being concerned with who holds positions of power. "I was jobless, a lone parent, and as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain without being homeless," she said . LONDON - Just because J.K. Rowling has stopped writing about Harry Potter and his friends and foes doesn't mean she has stopped thinking about them. [472], Sources differ on the precise name of Rowling's place of birth. And who doesnt have extremely messy and uncomfortable feelings about revisiting Woody Allens filmography? [2] She chose K (for Kathleen) as the second initial of her pen name, from her paternal grandmother, and because of the ease of pronunciation of two consecutive letters. In, Hopkins, Lisa. [11][105] On 15 March 1994, Rowling sought an action of interdict (order of restraint); the interdict was granted and Arantes returned to Portugal. This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 12:45. The series has sold over 600million copies, been translated into 84languages, and spawned a global media franchise including films and video games. [452] Some performers and feminists have supported her. [319], The Harry Potter books also have a group of vocal religious supporters who believe that Harry Potter espouses Christian values, or that the Bible does not prohibit the forms of magic described in the series. Parents, and heroes, have feet of clay. [305] Pharr terms the house-elves a disharmonious element in the series, writing that Rowling leaves their fate hanging;[306] at the end of Deathly Hallows, the elves remain enslaved and cheerful. [246] The critic of children's literature Joy Farmer sees parallels between Harry and Jesus Christ. So far, not much. At the end of the essay, Rowling reveals some interesting information about what became of Draco after he left Hogwarts. [250][251] In the first book, when Harry looks into the Mirror of Erised, he feels both joy and "a terrible sadness" at seeing his desire: his parents, alive and with him. [89], The pain of the loss of her mother was compounded when some personal effects her mother had left her were stolen. Many reviewers see Rowling's writing as conventional; some regard her portrayal of gender and social division as regressive. [213] Profits went to charities focused on COVID-19 relief. Thankfully, Rowling returned to their tale via Pottermore, tracing the family's history right the way back to the 12th century and revealing that Potter's paternal grandparents had sadly died of . [49] Her teacher Dale Neuschwander was impressed by her imagination. She writes Cormoran Strike, an ongoing crime fiction series, under the alias Robert Galbraith. Feb. 16, 2023. [210][211] Rowling released The Ickabog for free online in mid-2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom. [438] Rowling responded with an essay on her website[65] in which she revealed that her views on women's rights were informed by her experience as a survivor of domestic abuse and sexual assault. [238] This blend of realistic and romantic elements extends to Rowling's characters. [363], Aware of the good fortune that led to her wealth and fame,[364] Rowling wanted to use her public image to help others despite her concerns about publicity and the press; she became, in the words of Smith, "emboldened to stand up and be counted on issues that were important to her". [296], The social hierarchies in Rowling's magical world have been a matter of debate among scholars and critics. In the years since the publication of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling has revealed a number of tidbits of information about the Wizarding World.. 1. [346] Driven by the growth of the internet, fan fiction about the series proliferated and has spawned a diverse community of readers and writers. Here's how the author found her path to success. [375] Later in 2022, during her advocacy against the proposed Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill,[376] Rowling stated she would found and fund Beira's Place, a women-centred rape help center to provide free support services for biological women[377] survivors of sexual violence. [463] For services to literature and philanthropy, she was awarded the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) in 2017. Mr Arantes was a journalist in Portugal and has worked as a television reporter. [69] She applied to Oxford University in 1982 but was rejected. [11][40] By this time, Rowling had finished the first three chapters of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone almost as they were eventually published and had drafted the rest of the novel. [138], The next three books in the series were released in quick succession between 1998 and 2000: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999), and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000), each selling millions of copies. [40][123] Rowling recalls Cunningham telling her, "You'll never make any money out of children's books, Jo. [276], Critical response to Harry Potter has been more mixed. The pair met while he was a student aged 23 in Porto, Portugal. And many have taken the actors and film creators as Harry Potter standard-bearers rather than Rowling herself. [173], In 2004, Forbes named Rowling "the first billion-dollar author". [334] Children's literature rose in cultural status,[335] and fantasy became a dominant genre. she ain't dead, but she killed her own career by proudly hating trans people & no one would really miss her that much anyway," wrote one Twitter user. [273] Harry Potter's popularity has been attributed to factors including the nostalgia evoked by the boarding-school story, the endearing nature of Rowling's characters, and the accessibility of her books to a variety of readers. Lewis", "J.K. Rowling and the billion-dollar empire", "J.K. Rowling, the author with the magic touch", "J.K. Rowling: billionaire to millionaire", "JK Rowling named world's highest-earning author by Forbes", "Worlds highest-paid authors 2019: J.K. Rowling back on top with $92 million", "J.K. Rowling: Casual Vacancy tops fiction charts", "JK Rowling net worth Sunday Times Rich List 2021", "JK Rowling net worth 2020: How much the Harry Potter author earns and donates to charity", "JK Rowling announces The Casual Vacancy as title of first book for adults", "Could the BBC/HBO adaptation of JK Rowling's The Casual Vacancy be an improvement on the book? In, Dendle, Peter. Not that Rowling hasnt tried to claim supreme ownership of the World she generated. [201] The series was picked up by HBO for distribution in the United States and Canada. Author J.K. Rowling has been accused of transphobia (Picture: Getty Images) There are few viral tweets which have resonated more with me than this in recent days: 'Well well well, if it isn't . Chapter 3: A New Pyre. [458], Rowling was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2000 Birthday Honours for services to children's literature,[459] and three years later received Spain's Prince of Asturias Award for Concord. [10] Biographers attribute her rejection to privilege, as she had attended a state school rather than a private one. [464], Many academic institutions have bestowed honorary degrees on Rowling,[461] including her alma mater, the University of Exeter,[465] and Harvard University, where she spoke at the 2008 commencement ceremony. [189] Rowling later said she enjoyed working as Robert Galbraith,[190] a name she took from Robert F. Kennedy, a personal hero, and Ella Galbraith, a name she invented for herself in childhood. He is a former Portuguese TV reporter but it is not clear what he does now. Jk Rowling tweets over Transgender identity (Source: Thetimes.co.uk) She also claimed that Rowling employed an "insulting stereotype" to characterize a trans woman, portraying her as violent and highlighting her body in the book . I am not here to debate whatever cancel culture means to you today because, frankly, I do not care. [n] She began attending a Church of Scotland congregation, where Jessica was christened, around the time she was writing Harry Potter. It took an alleged thirteen tries for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone to gain acceptance from a publisher. [19] Anne later worked as a science technician. [287] The Cormoran Strike series was more warmly received as a work of British detective fiction, even as some reviewers noted that its plots are occasionally contrived. [52], Anne had a strong influence on her daughter. J.K. Rowling has faced her fair share of controversy lately, and now her Fantastic Beasts franchise is going through some issues of its own. [20] Neither Anne nor Pete attended university. The economic system, for instance, has rightly been called feudal. [227] Rowling also draws on the tradition of stories set in boarding schools, a major example of which is Thomas Hughes's 1857 volume Tom Brown's School Days. In, McEvoy, Kathleen. [11][106] Early in the year, Rowling began to experience a deep depression[107] and sought medical help when she contemplated suicide. [320] Christian analyses of the series have argued that it embraces ideals of friendship, loyalty, courage, love, and the temptation of power. He wanted Harry Potter and the School of Magic; as a compromise Rowling suggested Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. [327] The post-Harry Potter crossover trend is associated with the fantasy genre. Rowling denies that her young playmate Ian Potter represents Harry. Hermione could be Black! "I believe the majority of trans . [452][453] Figures from the arts world criticised "hate speech directed against her". [338][339], Rowling has been compared with Enid Blyton, who also wrote in simple language about groups of children and long held sway over the British children's market. ", "Will there be another series of Strike? In that interview, Arantes talked about how he lost his job as a journalist while battling . [300] Blake and Zipes argue that numerous examples of wizardly superiority are depicted as "natural and comfortable". Rowling's contribution was an 800-word Harry Potter prequel. [367] She has donated several hundred thousand pounds to help women lawyers flee from the Taliban's control, helping hundreds of Afghans escape. Rowling concluded the Harry Potter series with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007). [16] The Rowlings settled in Yate,[17] where Pete started work as an assembly-line production worker at the Bristol Siddeley factory. In early 1995, J.K. Rowling completed her first Harry Potter novel and asked a reader to review the first three chapters. [84] Her mother died of multiple sclerosis on 30 December 1990. [347][348] While Rowling has supported fan fiction, her statements about characters for instance, that Harry and Hermione could have been a couple, and that Dumbledore was gay have complicated her relationship with readers. The site was substantially revised in 2015 to resemble an encyclopedia of Harry Potter. [28] Joanne's first attempt at writing, a story called "Rabbit" composed when she was six, was inspired by Scarry's creatures. The series revived fantasy as a genre in the children's market, spawned a host of imitators, and inspired an active fandom. A new podcast called 'The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling,' featuring interviews with the 'Harry Potter' author herself, digs into the controversy surrounding Rowling's remarks about the . [118] Rowling later said that writing the first Harry Potter book had saved her life and that her concerns about "love, loss, separation, death are reflected in the first book". [70][71], Rowling always wanted to be a writer,[72] but chose to study French and the classics at the University of Exeter for practical reasons, influenced by her parents who thought job prospects would be better with evidence of bilingualism. She was one of many celebrities alleged to have been victims of phone hacking. [191] After the revelation, sales of Cuckoo's Calling escalated. Its brand was associated with Rowling: she introduced the site in a video as a shared media environment to which she and Harry Potter fans would contribute. [31] She earned a BA in French from Exeter,[76] graduating in 1987 after a year of study in Paris. [52] She was an average student at Exeter, described by biographers as prioritising her social life over her studies, and lacking ambition and enthusiasm. Quidditch is now a real-world sport with gameplay rules edited for logic and, ironically, extremely progressive regulations on gender homogeneity within individual teams. "Heroism at the margins". [107] She filed for divorce on 10 August 1994;[109] the divorce was finalised on 26 June 1995. People have gotten Harry Potter tattoos and themed weddingsincluding my own sister. JK Rowling has warned that social media is 'a gift for people who want to behave in a malign way' after she received a death threat on Twitter from an Islamic extremist in response to her support . J.K. Rowling's new book "The Ink Back Heart" features a character persecuted and killed over her allegedly transphobic views. [153] The first film of five, a prequel to the Harry Potter series, set roughly 70years earlier, was released in November 2016. [403] Rowling dislikes the British tabloid the Daily Mail,[404] which she successfully sued in 2014 for libel about her time as a single mother. There were also religious debates over Harry Potter. [176] She was named the world's highest paid author by Forbes in 2008,[177] 2017[178] and 2019. [313] In the following years, parents in several US cities launched protests against teaching it in schools. [256] Unlike Voldemort, who evades death by separating and hiding his soul in seven parts, Harry's soul is whole, nourished by friendship and love. JK Rowling was born on July 31, 1965, in Yate, Gloucestershire, England, to Peter James Rowling and Anne Volant Rowling. [295] Girls and women are frequently shown as emotional, defined by their appearance, and denied agency in family settings.
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