J.K. Rowling reveals she almost killed Ron Weasley in 'Deathly Hallows'

By Andy on 6 November 2011 at 09:54 GMT

J.K. Rowling has revealed that she almost killed Ron Weasley in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

"Funnily enough, I planned from the start that none of them would die. Then midway through, which I think is a reflection of the fact that I wasn't in a very happy place, I started thinking I might polish one of them off. Out of sheer spite. 'There, now you definitely can't have him any more.' But I think in my absolute heart of heart of hearts, although I did seriously consider killing Ron, [I wouldn't have done it]," she told the actor Daniel Radcliffe, who plays Harry Potter in the films and who was "convinced one of the main three had to buy it".

Tags: Deathly Hallows Book, J.K. Rowling, Ron Weasley - Add Comment - Permanent Link

Happy birthday J.K. Rowling and Harry!

By Andy on 31 July 2011 at 11:05 GMT

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling celebrates her birthday today, along with her fictional hero Harry Potter. Happy birthday Jo!

Tags: Birthdays, J.K. Rowling - 1 Comment - Permanent Link

J.K. Rowling announces 'Pottermore'

By Andy on 23 June 2011 at 11:00 GMT

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has just announced Pottermore, a "free website that builds an exciting online experience around the reading of the Harry Potter books."

Fans can register their email address with the project now, and more information will be revealed on July 31 (Harry and Jo's birthday).

Tags: J.K. Rowling, Pottermore - 2 Comments - Permanent Link

J.K. Rowling to appear on 'Oprah' on Friday

By Andy on 28 September 2010 at 00:28 GMT

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling will appear on the The Oprah Winfrey Show this Friday, October first. The interview was recorded at the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh where Rowling completed Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows back in 2007.

In a wide-ranging interview that took place in Edinburgh, Scotland, Rowling speaks candidly with Winfrey about her life and career as well as her journey to becoming one of the most recognizable writers of children's literature today. Rowling, who rarely does interviews, also shares her thoughts on the possibility of ever writing another Harry Potter book in the future.

Rowling reveals the moment when she knew that her life had changed forever. It was while in the United States on her second book tour: "There was this enormous Barnes & Noble, and I thought, oh my God. And the queue snaked up the street, up the Barnes & Noble, up through four floors and they took me in the back entrance. They opened the door and they screamed. They screamed….That's a real stand-out moment for me. I knew it was getting big in that there was press attention and so on, but at that point, that for me…was when it felt 'Beatle-esque.'"

Rowling also reveals to Winfrey that coping with the pressures of sudden stardom was not easy: "You ask about the pressure. At that point, I kept saying to people, yeah I'm coping…but the truth was there were times when I was barely hanging on by a thread."

Read the full press release by clicking here.

Tags: J.K. Rowling - 1 Comment - Permanent Link

JKRowling.com undergoes slight changes

By Hannah on 19 August 2009 at 21:38 GMT

As some of the more dedicated Harry Potter fans may know, J. K. Rowling's official site hasn't been updated in over a year. Now, a few minor changes have been spotted, including edited links and the title of her diary on the main page.

Perhaps these now minor changes could be hints of some more major updates to her sites. Stay tuned.

Tags: J.K. Rowling - Add Comment - Permanent Link

Happy birthday, Harry and Jo!

By Hannah on 31 July 2009 at 03:36 GMT

The 31^st of July is every devout Harry Potter fan's favourite day of the year because of two very important celebrity birthdays. A very happy birthday today to Harry Potter, who beat Lord Voldemort at his own game and made the world safe for Muggles everywhere.

Also, many warm and heartfelt wishes to Harry's creator, J. K. Rowling. Through online Harry Potter fandoms such as HPFZ, fans worldwide are connected because of their mutual love of her books. The world feels so much smaller, and it is – thanks to her. Best wishes and thank you Jo! We hope you have an amazing and relaxing day; you definitely deserve it.

Tags: Birthdays, J.K. Rowling - 3 Comments - Permanent Link

Chair that Rowling wrote PS, CS on up for auction

By Matt on 22 July 2009 at 01:28 GMT

The chair that J.K. Rowling sat on while writing the first two Harry Potter books in her Scottish flat is now up for auction on eBay. The chair was originally donated by Ms. Rowling to a charity auction in 2002, and is being auctioned off again now through July 26 with 20% of the proceeds going to Book Abroad, a charity that sends free school books to impoverished countries. From Ananova:

Rowling wrote … on the chair in her Scottish council flat when she was a single mother, surviving on benefits and struggling with depression. It has been personalised by the author herself and features several painted slogans including: "I wrote Harry Potter while sitting on this chair."

Proving its authenticity, the chair comes complete with a special Owl Mail signed by Rowling and addressed to the 'new owner of my chair'. The letter explains that she was given four mismatched dining room chairs in 1995 and, because it was the most comfortable, it was this one that ended up at her desk in front of her typewriter.

You can see some stunning photos of the chair at this link, and you can read and see the the authenticity letter at this link. For more information, visit the chair's website.

Tags: Auctions, J.K. Rowling - Add Comment - Permanent Link

US fans can catch JKR documentary tonight on ABC

By Matt on 16 July 2009 at 12:09 GMT

A quick reminder for those of you in the US: ABC will be airing James Runcie's documentary "J.K. Rowling: A Year in the Life" tonight, July 16, at 8:00 pm EST. Here's how Runcie describes his documentary:

It’s an intimate, personal encounter, in which J.K. Rowling talks simply and honestly about her life and her writing. It was not made as a glitzy publicity film because I wasn’t very interested in making something anyone else could have done. Instead, the aim was to make something more quietly revealing, to discover what Rowling really thought, and to discuss some of the central themes of her work; childhood hopes and fears, loyalty and betrayal, chance and fate.

Tags: J.K. Rowling - Add Comment - Permanent Link

Campaign sparked by JKR's MS Society resignation

By Andy on 17 April 2009 at 09:28 GMT

Remember when J.K. Rowling stepped down as patron of Scotland's MS Society last week? Her actions were a wake-up call for Multiple Sclerosis Society leaders. According to local Scottish journals (The Press and Journal, the Scotsman, and John O'Groat Journal), a campaign has been sparked following her resignation.

Specifically, the Caithness group of Scotland has written to all the other MS Society branches of Scotland requesting an "extraordinary general meeting," proposing that the society in Scotland break away from the UK-wide organization.

Mrs. Patricia Stanley, chairwoman of the Caithness group, suffers from multiple sclerosis herself. She explains she believes J. K. Rowling resigned because of unexplained suspensions of council members, adding:

"…We are as much in the dark as the public as to what exactly has been going on, but note that Ms Rowling has said that she has resigned because of the imposition of decisions upon Scotland by London."

The possibility of the MS Society of Scotland's independence from the UK-wide society may seem promising; the organisation can potentially be an excellent charity. We can only hope that all turns out well.

Tags: J.K. Rowling - Add Comment - Permanent Link

J. K. Rowling nominated for Glamour award

By Hannah on 15 March 2009 at 04:12 GMT

J. K. Rowling is a nominee in Glamour magazine's "Women of the Year" awards under the "writer" category for The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Her competition includes Julie Walters ("Molly Weasley") and Dawn French ("the Fat Lady"). You can vote for her here.

Winners will be announced June 2, 2009.

Tags: Awards, Dawn French, J.K. Rowling, Julie Walters, The Tales of Beedle the Bard - Add Comment - Permanent Link

On Forbes list: J. K. Rowling, Emma Watson, and Dan Radcliffe

By Hannah on 12 March 2009 at 03:43 GMT

Forbes has listed Daniel Radcliffe as #1 and Emma Watson as #6 on their list of Hollywood's most valuable young stars, as determined by a "star currency survey."

J. K. Rowling has also made Forbes list under the category "World's Billionaires." Although there is reportedly a 30% drop in billionaires from 2008 to 2009, J. K. Rowling remains on this list from last year with net worth of approximately $1 billion; she is in 701st place.

Tags: Emma Watson, J.K. Rowling - Add Comment - Permanent Link

Vote for J. K. Rowling at Galaxy British Book Awards

By Hannah on 10 March 2009 at 03:29 GMT

J. K. Rowling's book The Tales of Beedle the Bard has been shortlisted for the W. H. Smith Children's Book Of The Year award at the Galaxy British Book awards. Also shortlisted is Julie Walters (Molly Weasley) for best biography of the year. You may vote here starting today.

Tags: Awards, J.K. Rowling, Julie Walters, The Tales of Beedle the Bard - Add Comment - Permanent Link

J. K. Rowling – a graffiti artist at an Edinburgh hospital

By Hannah on 21 February 2009 at 02:36 GMT

The Scotsman reports that J. K. Rowling paid a heart-warming visit to the Royal Edinburgh Hospital in Morningside to interact with patients. She daubed graffiti on the walls of the Young People's Unit, which cares for teenagers with psychiatric conditions. According to consultant psychologist Dr Jane Morris:

"She really does spread magic. She's a natural and knows how to talk to young people. And she's extremely cool. She does graffiti on the walls which is probably worth a fortune. She's drawn all of us and wrote 'JK Rowling was here'."

Tags: J.K. Rowling - Add Comment - Permanent Link

J. K. Rowling's handprints set in stone

By Hannah on 12 February 2009 at 01:51 GMT

At a stonemason's workshop in Morningside today, J. K. Rowling's handprints were set in stone. Her handprints, which could symbolically convey the vast mark she has left on literature, will be set on display outside the Edinburgh City Chambers to honor her for all the effort she has put into writing Harry Potter.

Tags: J.K. Rowling - 1 Comment - Permanent Link

J.K. Rowling awards Harry Potter Fan Zone a fan site award

By Andy on 11 May 2007 at 06:15 GMT

I am both proud and overjoyed to find out today that Jo Rowling has awarded Harry Potter Fan Zone a fan site award on her official website. Of the site, Jo says:

How could I not love a fansite whose contributors include people named Thaddeus and Aunna? This is a great Australian site with an impressively young staff who have produced some really insightful editorials; I wish I could highlight a couple of them, but that would be waaaay too revealing. If you head over to FAQs, however, you will see some of the open letter questions answered (at long last, yes, I know… but I had to finish "Deathly Hallows" first). So congratulations and thanks, Andy, to you and all your talented colleagues.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you Jo – this means the world to all of us here at HPFZ.

Tags: Harry Potter Fan Zone, J.K. Rowling - Add Comment - Permanent Link

© 2003 - 2012 Harry Potter Fan Zone (HPFZ)

Harry Potter Fan Zone is in no way affiliated with the copyright owners of Harry Potter, including J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., Bloomsbury and Scholastic. All content is original work, unless otherwise specified. Feel free to contact us.