JK Rowling Returns With New Book for Adults After 'Harry Potter'
Author of the Harry Potter series J.K. Rowling announced Thursday that she would be writing a new novel for adults.
Hogwarts fans should not get too excited, though – Rowling has said she is looking forward to branching out with her latest novel.
"Although I've enjoyed writing it every bit as much, my next book will be very different to the Harry Potter series," Rowling said. "The freedom to explore new territory is a gift that Harry's success has brought me."
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Although no title, subject, or date of publication has been released, publisher Little, Brown says that more information will be announced later in the year.
Rowling published her Harry Potter novels with Bloomsbury in the U.K. and Scholastic in the United States, but with the change in her target audience, Rowling decided it "seemed a logical progression to have a new publisher."
Speculation has begun to run rampant since the announcement as to how much influence Harry Potter will have over Rowling's latest offering. Many children who grew up with the Harry Potter novels would now be in their early or mid-twenties, making them once again the target audience for Rowling's latest novel.
Still, Little, Brown being chosen for the latest novel may give some clues as to what direction Rowling is heading.
The new book will be edited by David Shelley, who will also be responsible for publication in the U.K. Shelley is not known for being an editor of fantasy novels, but has edited and published several bestselling crime and mystery books. He was also responsible for recruiting high-profile author Carl Hiaasen, so his selection may be more about dealing with famous talent than any particular genre.
Similarly, U.S. publisher Michael Pietsch serves as the Executive Vice President of Little, Brown and Company, and has worked with David Foster Wallace and James Patterson.
Although critics have accused the Harry Potter books of being anti-Christian due to its occult themes, Rowling herself has said that the books contain Christian themes, such as the subject of resurrection.
J.R.R. Tolkein is one fantasy author similar to Rowling who used Christian themes in his work.
Tolkien famously began his career with a children's book, The Hobbit, which only touched lightly upon his faith. After his initial success, Tolkien wanted to write a longer novel that focused on more explicitly Christian themes, but ended up having some disagreements with his publisher before finally publishing the epic Lord of the Rings trilogy.
While Rowling has not had any public spats with Bloomsbury or Scholastic, her choice of a new publisher for her adult novel does suggest that she may want to address material or themes that could have been inappropriate for her previous publisher.
