JK Rowling has a new detective novel this week, black ink heartAnd while there are obvious parallels between her experience and the book’s plot about a creator facing backlash over a controversial issue, Harry Potter The scribe claims that this is just a coincidence.
Published under his pseudonym Robert Galbraith, the sixth part of his Cormoran Strike series follows Eddie Ledwell, co-creator of the popular cartoon called Black ink heart. According to the book’s official synopsis, Eddie is “haunted by a mysterious online figure who goes by the pseudonym Anomie”. According to Rolling StoneEddie “sees internet trolls and his own fans take him down after the cartoon is criticized for being racist, capable and transphobic about a hermaphrodite worm”. Although the detectives initially refuse to investigate the matter, they change course after Eddie is gunned down in a cemetery.
In a new podcast interview with famous British presenter Graham Norton, Rowling said the parallels between the story and her life are nothing more than coincidence. Rowling has been at the center of controversy for more than two years over comments she has made on social media and in essays on transgender issues, from gender-affirming health care and conversion therapy to toileting.
Norton says that as she read the tome, she couldn’t help but think about how it resonates with her life, which Rowling says is “more resonant” than she thought. However, he was quick to point out that the book does not reflect recent personal experiences on the Internet. “I wrote the book before I had some stuff on the Internet,” he said. “I said to my husband, ‘I think everyone sees this as an answer for me,’ but it really wasn’t.”
He went on to say that the first draft of the book was completed when he himself encountered resistance online. “The fans inside black Heart Absolutely no Potter fan. I had this idea for the story, that was about three years ago, and I said to my two teenagers, “Who do you think is the most toxic fandom?” To my surprise, they mentioned a cartoon I had seen that I thought was very clever and funny.”
Rowling declined to name the cartoon, but said she was surprised by his comment: “So I went on the internet and looked it up and thought they were absolutely right. That’s why there’s an animator in the book. At first I thought he could be a comic book writer, but he’s an animator as a tribute to these particularly toxic fans.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
