A follow up for you today on the rumor that author J.K. Rowling is currently writing a mystery novel. While reps for Jo are quoted in a new article in The Times as saying “we do not have a definite plan of what her next project is yet,” there is more from author Ian Rankin and now noted mystery author P.D.James has weighed in on this matter. UPDATE: The Guardian is now reporting that Mr. Rankin is calling this “a joke that got out of hand,” said Rankin, describing how the remark was made on stage during the course of a festival event. There were 600 people in the audience, and only one person didn’t laugh,” he added.. Emma Schlesinger, speaking for Rowling’s literary agent, Christopher Little, was keen to stress that the crime novel rumours were “unfounded”.”JK Rowling is taking a well-earned break following the English language publication of Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows and there are no firm plans as yet as to what her next book may be,” she said.
Readers will remember that it was comments first from Ian Rankin, who is a long time neighbor of JKR in Edinburgh, Scotland, which spurred this latest flurry of rumors on the prospect of a forthcoming mystery novel. Over the weekend Ian Rankin said
“My wife spotted her writing her Edinburgh criminal detective novel,” he said. He declined to elaborate on how he knew about Rowling’s new direction, but conceded he had not discussed it personally with her. He added: “It is great that she has not abandoned writing or Edinburgh cafes.”
Today Mr. Rankin is cited in the Times article as saying more about Jo’s writing style, noting “Her process is classic crime writing – the set-up, the red herrings, the characters who change as they are revealed, the twists and turns, and finally the big lineup at the end.”
Author P.D. James is also very complimentary about Jo, saying her skills as a writer would work well in the mystery genre.
PD James, 87, creator of the Adam Dalgleish mysteries, said she saw no reason why Rowling should not become a successful crime writer. “She certainly has all the skills,” James said. “She is immensely popular with adults and children. She has done a great service to literature by encouraging children to read on that scale. It is a huge achievement to get children queuing for books in the numbers they do.”
While this is all very exciting, please keep this very much in the rumor category for now.
yes we should keep this in the rumour category. although jo would be an amazing crime novel writer but as she said in many interviews for harry potter that she will be taking a break for a while and then return to writting. Rakins wife couldve seen jo write anything it couldve been a letter to a friend or fan – to the encyclopedia tweaking her notes a bit.. who knows. its brilliant that harry potter has gotten soo many kids into reading including daniel radcliffe himself. i think that since the trio is soo majorly popular world wide that if someone were to take on a role from a book than the fans from them weould follow their career and reasearch their rolls. just like emma watson in the up comming movie ballet shoes ( a book series ). which will probably hit a growthsperg due to emma watson being the lead role.
So it was a joke? Odd… I don’t see anything particularly funny about the idea of Jo writing a crime novel, I actually think she would be brilliant. Buuuuut, okay. Glad to know this was a load of bull.
I just got a mental image of a book, sitting on a shelf in a book shop, bearing the name “J.K. Rowling,” but not a Harry Potter book. I know it doesn’t sound that earth shattering, but the image was just so clear in my mind, and it makes me both excited and a little sad.
As for JKR writing now, in the post DH/Today interviews, she said she was doing what she did before HP rocked her world-working on two stories at a time, until it was clear that one story was more interesting to her to continue. JKR did say that she was writing, just something new/not HP, and without a deadline or a need. Even when writers say they’re on vacation, they’ll still write, just like businesspeople can’t put away their blackberry/crackberry. It’s a habit; it’s what they do; it’s who they are. But not all writing is for publishing, or to contract. Right now it’s just for fun! Maybe she’s writing nonsense poems for her kids-sounds like a great idea for a late-summer lark!
Ian Rankin and JK Rowling live in the same neighbourhood in Edinburgh. Some time ago, (years ago) on a BBC radio programme, he said that at dinner not long before they had speculated on what it would be like to switch genres with each other. He – jokingly – said she could write a crime novel as long as she didn’t cross his path too closely. (I’ve not remembered the exact words) He follows the activities of a police detective, Inspector Rebus, in Edinburgh, bringing in lesser known (and darker) aspects of Edinburgh. Hence the comment in Edinburgh seems to follow on – just light-hearted fun between people who know each other well.
I really like the Rebus novels; I really like the Harry Potter novels. One aspect of Harry Potter has been just what PD James suggests, the laying of careful clues, (often staring you in the face, but not recognised till the end), and brilliantly, doing this over a 7 book story that kept us guessing till the end. (There’s more to the stories, but this concerns me here)
So if she wants to do it, I think JKR has all the skills to write a crime story – and I think Rankin is intruigued by the thought that this is a direction she might take.
I can confirm Brigg’s comments here. I asked Ian Rankin a question about the fact that JKR paid 10,000 pounds for a tour of Rebus’s Edinburgh. She never bothered to take that tour, he said. He did, however, mention that he lived down the street from her and had jokingly said to her that when she finished with Potter, he hoped SHE WOULD NOT write a mystery story ABOUT SCOTLAND, as he noted that she had all the skills of a mystery writer, but he didn’t want her tramping on his territory.
Three writers all live on the same street: Alexander McCall Smith, Ian Rankin, and JK Rowling. IMO they are all top notch writers worth of all of us to read.
I aggree with P. D. James, she would be a good writer of detective stories. And Yes, book five and six are good examples of her capacity to surprise us. If she does go that way, I will most certainly buy the first one, to see for myself if she is as good as I think she can be.
Is it just a coincidence that Rankin makes a comment that is so widely publicised (because its about JK) at a time when he announces the title to his new book? I think not
"A few people have heard of you, haven't they? All that business with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!" He glanced at the lightning scar on Harry's forehead. "I know, I know -- it's not quite as good as winning [i]Witch Weekly[/i]'s Most-Charming-Smile Award fiv
I think he said it was a joke so people you need to get over yourselves