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J.K. Rowling documentary to explore legacy of “polarising” ‘Harry Potter’ author

NME ·
J.K. Rowling documentary to explore legacy of “polarising” ‘Harry Potter’ author

The BBC has commissioned a two-part documentary series exploring the career and legacy of “polarising” Harry Potter author J.K.

Rowling .

The first part of the J.K.

Rowling documentary series will look at the author’s “bookish childhood” and the creation of the Harry Potter series.

“As the books inspired a generation of outsiders and brought millions of young fans together through the emerging internet, Rowling created a universe with an economic legacy worth billions,” explains a press release.

Meanwhile the second episode will explore her post- Harry Potter career.

“Amid the rise of social media and intensifying culture wars, her interventions on Scottish independence, feminism, free speech and gender identity place her at the centre of increasingly bitter online exchanges.” The documentary will feature archive interviews with Rowling and, while she’s aware the show is being made, she isn’t involved in its creation.

It’s set to premiere next year, after the launch of HBO’s new Harry Potter adaptation .

“J.K.

Rowling is arguably one of the most influential figures in the literary and wider media worlds.

Through the extraordinary story of her life and work, this series explores not only the creation of a global phenomenon, but also how Britain’s culture has been shaped by significant social and technological changes in recent years,” said BBC Scotland ’s commissioning editor David Harron.

“J.K.

Rowling has achieved extraordinary literary success, with her influence spanning a generation of fans, crossing into cinema and the online world. [This documentary] explores her unique story from her early days as a writer to the present moment and how her unflinching personal beliefs have sparked a fraught and divisive dialogue that continues to this day,” added executive producer James Rogan.

Dude, JK Rowling has not threatened one trans person with violence.

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