J K Rowling

What could you do in a billion hours?

In every skirmish in the ‘culture war', be it fought in universities, Twitter or Parliament, there's an inevitable reference to Harry Potter. The Potter references can seem like a joke; the perpetual furore around the politics of a ‘mere' children's author more so. But it is no laughing matter.  Read more

"Perplexed" was a common reaction. Rowling had never been a particularly controversial figure. Her books sold hundreds of millions of copies, they inspired films that brought in billions of dollars, and she used the money she made to save children from orphanages. In 2012, she gave enough to charity and paid enough in taxes to knock herself off the Forbes billionaires list.  Read more

Days after a host of prominent literary names signed a letter defending JK Rowling "against hate", more than 200 writers, publishers and journalists including Jeanette Winterson, Malorie Blackman and Joanne Harris have put their names to another stating their support for transgender and non-binary people.

She's one of the world's most famous living authors - and recently, she's been using her platform to speak out on a highly sensitive area: sex, gender and trans issues.

Some have accused JK Rowling of transphobia, others have commended her "bravery" for discussing an issue they say is rooted in misogyny. One thing's clear: what she's said has sparked controversy and caused some pain.  Read more