Harry Potter series ()

Author: (English) J.K. Rowling
Publisher: People's Literature Publishing House
Publishing Date: Not Available
Features: The author of the blockbuster series novels Harry Potter (which this magazine detailed last Friday) recently accepted an exclusive interview with Newsweek magazine, discussing her creative insights and views on children's literature.
My readers are just me.
Interviewer: Has the enthusiasm for this book reached its peak?
Rowling: I don’t know. I originally thought The Prisoner of Azkaban (the third installment of the Harry Potter series) was the peak, but it wasn’t. This won’t last forever, but now they’re making a movie, so it won’t calm down anytime soon.
Interviewer: Did you have a specific target audience in mind when writing the book?
Rowling: My readers are just me. I never seriously thought about what children would like. I was just driven by my own ideas. I actually don’t like fantasy novels. I can’t say I don’t like them, because I haven’t read much.
Interviewer: Have you ever gotten inspiration from your readers?
Rowling: No. The little readers are very generous—they send me their ideas, asking if I can include them in the book. I only reply in a letter, saying no, I won’t write it in the book because it’s your creation, you can write your own book.
Interviewer: Your daughter is six years old. Have you read your book to her?
Rowling: I always tell her, “Wait until you’re seven.” A smart six-year-old girl is perfectly capable of reading these books, but some parts might be a bit scary and dark for a six-year-old, and they could be overwhelmed. But later, when she started school, things changed. Older kids kept talking to her about the stories, and she knew nothing about them. I think it might have been unfair to keep her completely excluded, so now we’ve started reading them together.
Interviewer: Spending so much time with your daughter has influenced your perspective on children? It seems you started writing Harry Potter even before she was born.
Rowling: All the children and emotions in the books come from my memories. None of this came from my daughter; it’s from my childhood memories. Before she was born, much of the novel was already set, which might have been a good thing. It wouldn’t be wise to include my daughter in the book. I don’t want Jessica to be Harry’s sister.
Not “worship of magic”
Interviewer: Are you worried about Harry growing up in the book?
Rowling: I hope he grows up. I hope all the children in the books grow up. I hope it doesn’t change the story’s essence. If, in the novel, Hermione became a young mother or someone started taking drugs, it would be too inappropriate and wouldn’t fit the tone of the series. I don’t think you can’t reflect similar issues in children’s literature, but there’s no place for these in this series. In the fourth book, they’ve clearly grown up and started to have vague awareness between boys and girls.
Interviewer: Some people ask you to edit the content of the books. Do you feel pressured?
Rowling: Not at all. I’m firm on these requests. Children’s literature is a fascinating field—you have to be in it to understand it. Children’s books aren’t textbooks; their purpose isn’t to teach kids specific things. That’s not the nature of literature. People can certainly learn from literature, but it might just teach them how to laugh heartily—not like being slapped in the face every time. Children will definitely learn something from Harry Potter, but I’m afraid of seeing this scenario: after reading just a few chapters, they close the book and think, “This is what we’re supposed to learn today.”
Interviewer: Whenever a writer achieves great success, some people offer criticism. It seems some people blame your books for encouraging “worship of magic”?
Rowling: Every popular thing faces this. I’d be happy to debate face-to-face with those who blame my books for encouraging “worship of magic,” but you don’t have to change their minds. The only thing I strongly dislike is that someone suggests banning this book. They have the right to decide what their own children read—even if it’s not the right choice. But they don’t have the right to interfere with what other people’s children read.
Children’s helplessness
Interviewer: Has writing changed you personally?
Rowling: Yes, it’s made me happier. Finishing this series will make me happier. Before, I never finished a novel. Honestly, I’m not good at other things. I’m an ordinary teacher, but I also handle some office work, and the people I work with will tell you, I’m not good at organization. I’m not great, and I don’t think that makes me charming. I should be better at these things.
Interviewer: Did you write two other books before this?
Rowling: Both were for adults. Besides poetry, I’ve written almost everything. I’ve written scripts and short stories. It’s absurd that I never thought I’d write children’s books—I always thought I was suited for adult literature.
Interviewer: But one day, on a train stuck between Manchester and London, staring out the window at the pastures, Harry popped into my head.
Rowling: That’s exactly how it happened. When you get inspired, there’s a physical reaction, that surge of creativity, something I’d never felt before. I’ve never been so strongly struck by inspiration—Harry is a wizard. He has lightning scars on his forehead, and I don’t know why I put them there. I didn’t deliberately create him.
Interviewer: One of the central themes of this series is the helplessness children often feel—of course, the ordinary ones. It seems that feeling is what draws kids to the stories.
Rowling: That’s right. That’s why there are so many books about magic and exploring mysterious powers. It’s the same for adults. Even as adults, you realize how weak your power is. When you’re a child, you have to grow up, and after growing up, you realize it’s not easy to change things.
The global phenomenon Harry Potter is a great contribution from the British genius J.K. Rowling to the world. This book’s rich imagination, thrilling plot, heart-stirring suspense, unexpected twists, Holmes-like detective reasoning, laugh-out-loud humor, and unparalleled excitement make it impossible to put down—people must finish it in one sitting. What is Harry Potter truly magical about, and what extraordinary stories have happened in his life? Harry Potter is a magical, just, and kind little boy created by the British author J.K. Rowling. After losing his parents at one year old, he lives a miserable life with his aunt and uncle. But on his eleventh birthday, he unexpectedly receives a letter from a wizarding school, marking the beginning of his journey as a chosen one and his long adventure.
The Harry Potter adventure series is planned for seven books, with each installment featuring Harry growing one year older, until he is seventeen. Four books have already been published: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
With its extraordinary imagination, layered suspense, and child-friendly language, the Harry Potter series conquered the Western world almost overnight. So far, it has been translated into at least 35 languages and has sold over 35 million copies. By the end of this year, Warner Bros. in the U.S. will bring Harry Potter to the screen, bringing the colorful lives of a group of young wizards to life.