Rowling - Online Chats

The First Years with Harry (March 24, 2001)
J.K. Rowling Interviews 1997/98
There's a chapter in the book where Harry sees his dead parents in a magic mirror, and I know that if my mother hadn't died I would have treated that a lot less seriously. more...

Raincoast Books Interview (March 2001)
Has Harry ever used the Internet?
Wizards don't really need to use the Internet but that's something that you'll find out later on in the series. They have a means of finding out what goes on in the outside world that I think is more fun than the Internet. more...

BBC Red Nose Day Chat (March 12, 2001)
When is Ron's Birthday?
"First of March, in case you're thinking of sending him a card, and Hermione is the nineteenth of September." more...

Pottermania in Vancouver (November 16, 2000)
At J.K. Rowling's press conference, adults take a back seat to kids.
"You should keep an eye on Dudley. It's probably too late for Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. I feel sorry for Dudley. I might joke about him, but I feel truly sorry for him because I see him as just as abused as Harry. Though, in possibly a less obvious way. What they are doing to him is inept, really. I think children recognize that. Poor Dudley. He's not being prepared for the world at all, in any reasonable or compassionate way, so I feel sorry for him. But there's something funny about him, also. The pig's tail was irresistible." more...

A Good Scare (October 30, 2000)
J.K. Rowling explains what kids need to know of the dark side
It's great to hear feedback from the kids. Mostly they are really worried about Ron. As if I'm going to kill Harry's best friend. What I find interesting is only once has anyone said to me, "Don't kill Hermione," and that was after a reading when I said no one's ever worried about her. more...

Larry King Live! (October 20, 2000)
But how has all the success affected you?
Occasionally, obviously, you know, I'm on the LARRY KING show. This was not a feature of my life. more...

BarnesAndNoble.com Chat (October 20, 2000)
Does Arabella Figg have an important role in the later books?
You'll be seeing Mrs. Figg in book five, and you'll find out all about her. more...

America Online Chat (October 19, 2000)
Did you consider having a girl be the main character?
Well, I didn't -- purely because Harry came to me as a boy. And after I'd been writing about him for a few months, he was too real to me to change. However, Hermione is such a good friend too, that I don't feel I have short-changed girls! more...

Scholastic.com Chat (October 16, 2000)
Which book was the most fun for you to write?
Prisoner of Azkaban, without a doubt. But that doesn't necessarily mean it's my favourite book. I love them all, but bizarrely the two that were most difficult to write, Chamber of Secrets and Goblet of Fire — are my favourites. more...

'Fire' Storm (September 7, 2000)
Have you ever thought "Maybe I should tone it down"?
No. I know that sounds kind of brutal but no, I haven't. The bottom line is, I have to write the story I want to write. I never wrote them with a focus group of 8 year olds in mind. I have to continue telling the story the way I want to tell it. I don't at all relish the idea of children in tears, and I absolutely don't deny it's frightening. But it's supposed to be frightening! And if you don't show how scary that is, you cannot show how incredibly brave Harry is. more...

BBC Interview (Fall 2000)
Now the future - Lupin comes back in Book Five?
You see Lupin in Book Five. I always looked forward to writing Book Three because of Professor Lupin. I love him. Yes you see a lot of old characters in Book Five. Yes.

eToys.com Interview (Fall 2000)
Any hints you could share about what to expect in future Harry Potter books?
The theme running through all seven books is the fight between good and evil, and I'm afraid there will be casualties! Children usually beg me not to kill Ron. Whenever I tell them this, they seem to think he is most vulnerable, probably because he is the hero's best friend! more...

CBC Newsworld Interview (July 18, 2000)
Fear is a healthy thing?
It is a healthy thing. It's a survival thing… Let's say a child grows to age 14 never having experienced feared, it would be a destroying experience for that boy or girl the first time they felt fear. You have to learn that. more...

SouthWestNews.com Interview (July 8, 2000)
Can American kids go to Hogwarts?
No, they have their own school. You'll find out in Book 4. Hogwarts just serves Britain and Ireland. more...

The Return of Harry Potter! (July 1, 2000)
J.K. Rowling talks about her success, her daughter, her readers...
Book seven's going to be like the Encyclopaedia Britannica, because I'm going to want to say goodbye. more...

Scholastic.com Chat (February 3, 2000)
What made you think of the people's names and dormitories at Hogwarts?
I invented the names of the Houses on the back of an airplane sick bag! This is true. I love inventing names, but I also collect unusual names, so that I can look through my notebook and choose one that suits a new character. more...

BarnesAndNoble.com Chat (September 8, 1999)
Is Harry Potter based on anyone you know?
No, Harry came completely out of my own head, so I suppose he must have a lot of me in him. Although Hermoine is a more faithful portrait of me when I was younger. more...