J.K. Rowling Harry Potter Webcast

J.K. Rowling Webcast: Beyond the Page

Thursday, October 11, 2012. It's noon at the STACKS office. STACKS Staffer Karen is proudly wearing her Hufflepuff pin, and we have cupcakes because this is a party! Harry Potter author, J.K. Rowling will be speaking live from Scotland, and I am hoping, hoping, hoping that she will talk about what book she is writing next.

The webcast starts with a slideshow history of her beautiful city Edinburgh, Scotland. Did you know that Gilderoy Lockhart was named after a church in Edinburgh? There is also a St. Mungo’s Church in Edinburgh. Hmmmm. . . . That sounds familiar too.

Rowling says she always knew in her heart of hearts she would be a writer. She wrote her first story called “Rabbit” when she was 6 years old, which is impressive because she not only started it, but she finished it. She says, “Beginning a story is easy, but actually finishing it is more difficult.” She should know. It took her 17 years to finish the Harry Potter series!

She talks about some of her favorite moments while writing the Harry Potter books:

• Luna Lovegood’s first appearance
• The graveyard scene in Goblet of Fire
• Peeves’ jingles
• Harry’s first visit to Ollivander’s shop (which she wrote while sitting under a tree in a park)

Rowling also talks about Pottermore, the online world she created for the Harry Potter books. Rowling herself is actually a participant in Pottermore! She won’t reveal her username, so she could be anybody on the site! You might have even sent her a message! She was sorted into Gryffindor House. Of course, she wrote the Sorting Hat questions, so she could have put herself into any house she wanted, but she said she answered the questions honestly so she really is a Gryffindor.

The most controversial question came from a student who asked how Rowling responds to kids’ disappointment when they get sorted into Hufflepuff. (STACKS Staffer Karen puts her hands on her hips and gets very indignant at this question.) Well, it turns out that Hufflepuff is J.K. Rowling’s favorite house! Hufflepuff has produced the fewest number of dark wizards and they showed their loyalty during the Battle of Hogwarts in the number of students willing to stay and fight Voldemort. Rowling’s oldest daughter Jessica even said, “I think we should all want to be Hufflepuffs.” That made Karen really happy.

Next the interviewer did a bunch of rapid-fire questions.

• Favorite color: Pink
• Favorite food: Sushi
• Least favorite food: Tripe
• Favorite sound: The sea and “my husband’s snoring”
• Least favorite sound: “My husband’s snoring when I’m trying to sleep”
• Favorite sport: Quidditch
• Favorite things to do: Take the kids somewhere fun, draw, listen to music, cook, bake
• Quality you most admire: Bravery
• Fill in the blank: If I wasn’t a writer, I would be _depressed__.

Now we come to my 2nd favorite part of the interview when Rowling says that her next book will “likely be for children.” !! This is only my 2nd favorite part because she isn’t 100% sure yet and she doesn’t say anything about it being Harry Potter-related. Still, there is a chance that we may someday have another children’s book by the amazing J. K. Rowling! That is enough to get me excited.

My favorite part of the whole interview came at the end when Rowling talks about what she hopes kids take away from the Harry Potter books and why she loves books. She says, “What I take away from my favorite books is the knowledge that there is always somewhere you can go that you love and where you’re safe. . . . Wherever I am, if I’ve got that book with me, I’ve got a place I can go and be happy. If that place is Hogwarts for anyone, then I couldn’t be more honored or more humbled.”

I’m in awe. Hope you enjoyed my recap of the J.K. Rowling webcast. You can watch the entire video webcast here, but give yourself a lot of time because it's 50 minutes long. Totally worth it though! Leave a Comment with your thoughts.

PS. The cupcakes were so yummy!

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer

Comments

[Comment #1]

nice

[Comment #2]

Thank you very much for this!!! I got so much from the Harry Potter series, it changed my life. Like, legit, forever. =)

I did not know that JKR's favorite color was pink...nor that her favorite food is sushi. OMG, I had sushi recently and finally thought it was good...okay, never mind. =D

Love,
~harrypotterisbeast (because, obviously, he is)

[Comment #3]

I hope its a story about the marauders and lily ..that would be so cool..

[Comment #4]

Can't wait to hear about the new book

[Comment #5]

J.K Rorwling is an amazing author. Harry Potter is awsome and for the people who have not read the series or a book try it!

[Comment #6]

that's very good so i love it

[Comment #7]

Thank you! And you're so lucky for interviewing ROWLING! (and for eating the cupcakes, too :P)

Alright, I actually hope her next book is a children's one so hard it stresses me XD *crosses fingers*

Interesting info about her, and the whole thing with Hufflepuff is awesome! (Jessica rocks and she should know, Imma Hufflepuff here along with Karen)

:D

[Comment #8]

I CANT WAIT UNTIL HER NEW COMES OUT BOOK I'VE READ ALL OF THE HARRY POTTER BOOKS SO MANY TIMES I LOST TRACK

[Comment #9]

Woah you are so lucky to meet JK Rowling I luv hp and the thing about hufflepuff is totally right (eventhough i'm a ravenclaw)

[Comment #10]

please write more books. Maybe you could call in "James Potter and the bla bla bla bla" P.S Go Ravenclaw!Oh yeah!

[Comment #11]

she is the best author yet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Comment #12]

her books are great!:)

[Comment #13]

Harry is super cute in
the moves!

[Comment #14]

Hes so cute!=D=D=D=D=D=D=D
=D=D=D=D=D=D=D=D=D

[Comment #15]

Thanks for interviewing J. K. Rowling also the facts are fascinating!

[Comment #16]

OMG!I love ur HP books!My favorite character is Snape.Of course that sounds awkward,but he really is.

[Comment #17]

i love your books so much i have no idea what to say i just can't explain

i lovr harry potter books !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Comment #18]

Are you going to make more books

[Comment #19]

Harry Potter is my favorite series apart from hunger games and thanks cause this helped with school homework [ i hate homework :-(]