Harry Potter Forum Booted J.K. Rowling… For 'Inadequate' Knowledge of the Books
Surely no one would claim to know more about the popular wizarding world in which the Harry Potter series is based than its own creator.
And yet, according to a recent discussion with renowned author J.K. Rowling, that's precisely what happened to her early into the book series' success.
In the new audio documentary, 'The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling', the author has opened up about her negative experiences facing fame and the reception of some of her opinions and controversies.
One enlightening moment recounts how she had joined a Harry Potter- themed online chat room in the early days of the books' success.
Disguising her identity with a false name, Rowling shared her own insights into the books, pretending not to be the series creator herself.
She remembers that rather than being openly welcomed to the group, she instead suffered a strained run-in with the online community.
Accusing her of not knowing enough about the very books she had written. In her own words, she described the incident as getting "rounded on by users", who said, "in no uncertain terms to get out".
Although Rowling says the experience didn't leave her feeling hurt, the incident lingered with her. Worrying more about her fans who may encounter a similar situation.
Describing her thoughts after the disturbance, she remembers thinking how the response from these so-called fans embodied the very actions she portrays so negatively in her books.
She clarified, "I've written three-and-a-half books where bullying is such a theme from the very first page. Where bullying – and authoritarian behaviour – is held to be one of the worst of human ills, and look what just happened from these people who call themselves such fans of this franchise."
Of course, Rowling has not avoided continuing controversy in recent years from fans and adversaries alike. After voicing her opinions on transgender rights, she has received much kickback from those labelling her as anti-transgender.
This, by association, has generated a mass boycott of both Rowling and Harry Potter in response to disagreements with her beliefs.
The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling series aims to engage more thoroughly with the discussion and controversies Rowling is facing now and in the past. Assessing both the author's own point-of-view and the opinions of all other sides.
The revelation of Rowling's story about the previous fan chat room shows that the author was constantly at odds with some of the franchise's fans.
The unknown group members would have likely been horrified to have learned they were excluding the series creator herself.
However, it shows how the fans have put their own judgements or beliefs into the series. The scale of the franchise has grown so large no longer does Harry Potter belong to just Rowling alone.