JK Rowling told her fans via social media that she will be releasing a children’s fairy tale she had written a decade ago for free online, one chapter at a time.
The title of this standalone book is “The Ickabog”.
Rowling emphasized that this book has nothing to do with her most famous work – Harry Potter. The author explained that she had written this fairytale 10 years ago, but kept it in her attic because she wanted to continue writing for the adults.
However, she said that now felt like a good time to rewrite bits of the novel as many children are stuck indoors with their family because of the global pandemic. Rowling said a new chapter will be released every weekday online for free, so that the children can read like they are in school.
Rowling said that at one point, she was quite certain that she would keep “The Ickabog” for her family only. She likened opening the box in her attic and retrieving the manuscript to opening a time capsule.
In lieu of money, Rowling said she wanted the young readers to send her illustrations that would go with the text. She said that although she will share recommendations on ideas for drawings, she wants the kids to be creative and draw whatever they want to after reading the story.
The author said that some of those drawings will be included when the text eventually gets published. However, she said the selection of which drawings make it into the physical book is a decision for her publishers and not her.
On the other hand, Rowling said she will try her best to share the illustrations via her social media account, mainly on Twitter. Rowling is famous for her very active communication with fans via Twitter.
Moreover, the author said all profits from the new book will be given to charities that are supporting communities through Covid-19. She has already donated £1 million this month to support organizations that work with the homeless and victims of domestic abuse.
Fan reactions on the story have been extremely positive so far. Some fans have already begun sending illustrations, while others said it brought out the child that was within them during this tough time.
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