J.K. Rowling Is Releasing New Book Titled THE ICKABOG Serial Style; Here Are the Details

Harry Potter scribe J.K. Rowling has written a new book for fans to enjoy during the pandemic called The Ickabog. The story is not set in the wizarding world we know, but Rowling says she did think up the idea when she was finishing the Harry Potter series.

Rowling wrote in a blog post that while she had the story thought out and written down, she was ready to take a break from children’s stories for a while, so she put the story away in her attic. A few weeks ago, she mentioned to her two teenagers that she was thinking of finishing the story and publishing it for free online. They were very supportive and thought it was a great idea and a perfect time for families and children.

The story will be published a chapter (or two, or three) at a time every weekday between May 26 and July 10 on her website, The Ickabog. There isn’t an official synopsis for the book, but Rowling said the following of the story:

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.

Rowling will also be holding a contest for the artwork for the book. Each chapter will need artwork done, and Rowling is encouraging kids to be creative and submit their illustrations for the contest taking place on the book’s website. The book will be published this November with the winning art, and all proceeds from the book sales will go to COVID-19 relief.

I am so excited to read this new story with my kids! There have been a lot of really cool things put out by actors, writers, artists, and musicians during the pandemic, but I think this is one of my favorites. Are you excited to read The Ickabog?