In The News
JK Rowling Writing New Children's Book in Cafes Again
J.K. RowlingAs readers will recall, author J.K. Rowling has stated several times recently that she is at work on two new projects, one for adults and one for children. The Telegraph has more today on Jo’s efforts with the new book for children, with a brief interview where Jo says she is returning again to write in cafes, just as she did writing the Harry Potter series. Quotage:
“I will continue writing for children because that’s what I enjoy,” reveals Jo, who greatly misses the child wizard. “It’s left me with the biggest emptiness in my life.” She will, however, leave behind the magical world of Hogwarts. “I believe that it’s good for me and good for my readers that I bring myself to work on something different,” she declares.
In a search for inspiration, Jo discloses that she has returned to the Edinburgh cafes where she completed her first novel while unemployed and living on benefits: “I am very good at finding a suitable cafe. I blend into the crowd and, of course, I don’t sit in the middle of the bar staring all around me. In 90 per cent of cases, it’s the cafe’s staff who allow me to work without being bothered.”
On a related note, the worst sort of Muggles or Death Eaters have been out and about recently, as vandals have apparently made off with one of two plaques at the cafe in Edinburgh, Scotland where she wrote much of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s (Philosopher’s) Stone. The Scotsman reports:
Staff at the Buffet King restaurant on Nicolson Street, which used to be Nicolson’s Cafe, said a small brass plaque dedicated to the city author had been taken from the front entrance…One restaurant worker said:”It is only a small plaque and we didn’t even know it had been stolen until someone pointed it out to us.We haven’t contacted the police about it. It’s probably a waste of time for them to even try and find out who stole it.”The city’s culture leader, Deidre Brock, said: “I am hopeful that it is found and put back soon.” The plaque was one of two set up on the street in honour of the writer. The other – which was unveiled by the Edinburgh City of Literature Trust in 2006 – is still in place, fixed to the outside of the building.
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This is AMAZING. thanks for posting this. my day is brighter!
¬heads off to some Edinburgh cafes¬
;)
Nah, not really. I think we should leave her to it, tbh.
this actually is not really news to the fans. we have known about this book for a few years now. we also catch glimpses of her writing and speaking briefly about it in the recent year in a life documentary.
What makes me curious is the fact that she is interviewed about it. i wonder if that means she is now working towards publishing it?
honestly, she is jk rowling and if she does not want deadlines, i doubt she has to have any deadlines from her publishers. but still, i do hope she publishes more stories.
Its not the fact that shes writing it that is the news. Its the fact that were getting updates, which is always a good sign.
ooooooooo I’m so looking forward to new books!!!!!! Can’t wait!!!!!! And if she ever decide to write another HP book I don’t want it to be about the kids. Let’s keep Harry,Ron,Hermione and the other characters!
Awwww. This made me smile. thinks about ‘the scottish book’
What is very obvious indeed is just how much difficulty she is having leaving behind the Potter world. It was, after all, 17 years of her life that fundamentally changed everything for her. I wonder if she regrets publishing the epilogue….......
I don’t know why everyone is getting so excited! She is just writing, that doesn’t mean it is any good. I am also shocked that she didn’t write anything eles besides Harry Potter for the past 10 years. It makes me think that she is a one trick pony.
Lynn
She had said during interviews while she still was writing potter that she had already started with another childrens´ book.
Maybe she is just somebody who doesn´t like to spread attention to a million different stories.
But I agree I wouldn´t get too excited: Jo is good in firing up exspectations without fulfilling them.
Anyway, I would be more interested in her adult-book, but i guess we will be waiting in vain for this as I believe she simply cannot write for adults.
Secunda
Tell that to the millions of adults who have read her books over the years.
Lynn
She has a 30 million+ fan base who would have been highly disappointed if she took time away from Harry and wrote something else. They would not have been happy about waiting even longer, especially fans like me who have been waiting for this moment for nine or ten years. Jo has always shown she loves her fans AND Harry, and for the sake of both she wanted to finish this massive story with multiple plot-twists and dozens of hidden clues before moving on to something else (so yeah, it took her a long time-17 years, not 10).
As to the article, she has on multiple occasions since the publication of DH said that she was going to take a break before writing again, so it’s thrilling to hear that she’s writing again as she is such a talented writer, thanks Sue and Leaky for posting.
I’m sorry if I’m being overly aggressive, but, as Hagrid would say, nobody insults Jo in front of me.
I agree 110% with what Rachel said. The thing about Jo being “a one trick pony”. You may be right that any idea she has after HP will never be anywhere near half as good as it. I would never think to compare the two. But I think we can all agree Jo is a fantastic writer, and that is something you don’t lose. So I expect I’ll enjoy anything else she does write, and if I don’t thats my problem not hers, and I could never get mad at her after all she did for me with Harry Potter.
One trick pony??? Bet you wish you had a trick at least half that good up your sleeve…
Lynn and Secunda_One wonders greatly -if you work for either a puplishing company that missed the boat on JKR or are rival author(s) of Jo’s as those reasons sound as good as any as to why you need to find such -not
only rediculious insults to make about Jo but ones that do not hold water .And WHY you wold EVEN be here is a mystery to me as you are clearly NOT fans in any,shape form, or fashion of her work . [???]
Wouldn’t your thoughts and energy be used[and served] better elsewhere _say maybeylike writing a book yourselves instead of finding fault.Apparentely you think you are capible of muti books that would interest mases of people ___or maybe you just like to find fault in one who can.
Hmmmmmmmm????
I am very happy this book is beng completed and am looking farward to it’s publication.
Lynn and Secunda_One wonders greatly -if you work for either a puplishing company that missed the boat on JKR or are rival author(s) of Jo’s as those reasons sound as good as any as to why you need to find such -not
only rediculious insults to make about Jo but ones that do not hold water .And WHY you wold EVEN be here is a mystery to me as you are clearly NOT fans in any,shape form, or fashion of her work . [???]
Wouldn’t your thoughts and energy be used[and served] better elsewhere _say maybeylike writing a book yourselves instead of finding fault.Apparentely you think you are capible of muti books that would interest mases of people ___or maybe you just like to find fault in one who can.
Hmmmmmmmm????
I am very happy this book is beng completed and am looking farward to it’s publication.
Susan Cooper has never again (IMO) written anything as good as The Dark is Rising series. But some of the other stuff she’s written is still well worth reading: “not as good as TDiR” still leaves a lot of room for excellence.
thank you Voice
Just to clarify one thing: I have been a huge fan until Deathly Hallows came out.
And the first part of my post just said that there are people in the world (me included) who cannot occupy themselves with many tasks at the same time. And I wondered if Jo belonged to them. It was actually a defense for Jo!
And it is a fact that many adult readers turned away after DH (or even before). You just had to check the debate that was going on at amazon when they had this forum for beedle the bard.
And again I stress that this is a discussion forum here not a one-opinion-borg-ship
Lynn, I hope that you are not as obtuse as you sound. “One trick pony” indeed! How incredibly insulting!
To minimalize Jo’s accomplishment (and her dedication to the Harry project) by saying that she should have written something else at the same time, is just absurd. The magnitude and complexity of what she created not only the main story of Harry, but all the subplots, the characters, microscopic DETAILS, and entire Wizarding Universe, is mind boggling! Plus, all the history (muggle, magical, and mythological), intricately woven in … wondrous indeed!
IMO, Granted, several inspirations for future stories, probably ran through her brain during the time she was writing the HP novels, but she just jotted the ideas down for consideration at a later date … once Harry’s adventure had come to it’s conclusion. She refused to “sidelined” or distracted … for that she has my undying gratitude! Even getting married and having two more children, did not slow her down that much!
IF her future works do not garner as much success as the Harry Potter series has, SO WHAT? Does that diminsh what she has already done?
JKR is an extraordinarily creative writer! She gave us a beautiful gift! Enjoy it and quit being so small minded and petty!
If any cretins out there believe that Harry Potter is all that she has in her, you are as myopic as you present yourself.
We will be able to share with future generations the stories about the agony of waiting for the next Harry Potter book. The ECSTASY of finally getting it into our hands and devouring every word. They will be blessed because they will be able to read them back-to-back!
Jo has written something for the ages, the not so simple adventure of a little orphaned boy named Harry that was a wizard! Thank You Jo, from Me and those yet to be!I would LOVE to be as “tricky” as Jo!
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Leaky Poll
Moving the HBP film to July 2009 is:
- Completely unforgivable75 (39%)
- Annoying, but I'll get over it75 (39%)
- Not something I care about.9 (4%)
- Cool; who wants to go to the movies in the winter anyway?3 (1%)
- Awesome! I get to save $10 until next year.10 (5%)
- Awesome! I get to save $10 because now I'm skipping this movie!9 (4%)
- I've made a Facebook group, started a protest, called my local councilman, staged a sit-in, started a boycott, and organized a million-fan march because we won't stand for the - wait, what was this about again?9 (4%)
Finally some news on this new book!