Fans around the world are in for a treat, world-famous Harry Potter author JK Rowling has announced her latest children’s book The Ickabog will be available free online.
Prompted to keep the little ones busy during the COVID-19 pandemic, Rowling has decided to offer her latest stand-alone fairytale at no cost.
The Ickabog is a children’s book that Rowling intended to publish years ago, right after her first Harry Potter book released. When the Harry Potter series became popular, Rowling decided to dedicate her time to writing fiction for adults.
“I always meant to publish it, but after the last Potter was released I wrote two novels for adults and, after some dithering, decided to put those out next. Until very recently, the only people who’d heard the story of The Ickabog were my two younger children,”Rowling told Independent.
The manuscript for the book had been sitting in Rowlings attic for years until recently, when she decided to redraft it.
The author herself has just announced that the new website is up and running and that the first two chapters are available here.
Rowling is also running an illustration competition. Illustrators have been asked to create characters from the book, in their own style, and the winner could possibly be featured in the published version. The planned date for release is November 2020.
To enter parents can share their children’s artwork using the #TheIckabog and tag The Ickabog on Twitter.
Please share your children’s artwork with us using #TheIckabog and tag us in the post. Read our submissions guide at https://t.co/msLWYGDlYF
— The Ickabog (@TheIckabog) May 26, 2020
JK Rowling is penning a new book called The Ickabog and the first chapters will be available for free from July 10. Rowling is also running an illustration competition and if you are chosen your artwork could feature in the published version.
Money made from the published book will go towards organisations who were most affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fans have been reassured that the website where the book will be available will not require registration.
Picture: Pexels
