J.K. Rowling announced today that a new book, The Ickabog, will be serialized for free on its own website beginning on May 26 and continuing until July 10. Rowling previously spoke about writing a “political fairy tale” that she had planned to publish following the Harry Potter books, but the project was ultimately shelved. The book will finally be published later this year, but Rowling decided to first release it online so that children can read it while in lockdown. She describes it as “written to be read aloud,” since she did just that with her two younger children when she was writing it. It is also suitable for 7 to 9-year-olds to read to themselves.
Of the story’s political themes, Rowling states, “The Ickabog is a story about truth and the abuse of power. To forestall one obvious question: the idea came to me well over a decade ago, so it isn’t intended to be read as a response to anything that’s happening in the world right now. The themes are timeless and could apply to any era or any country.” The Ickabog “isn’t Harry Potter and it doesn’t include magic.”
The Ickabog Illustration Competition
The book will be released in English in November 2020 in print, audio, and as an ebook. The published edition of the book will feature illustrations from children, which Rowling envisions as another activity for those who are currently staying home due to the coronavirus. Instructions for submissions can be found on TheIckabog.com. While the competition will be judged by Rowling’s publishers in each territory, she invites parents and guardians to also show off their children’s contributions on Twitter using the hashtag #TheIckabog.
The first two chapters are available now. All author royalties from The Ickabog are being pledged to “help groups who’ve been particularly impacted by the pandemic.”