Mixed reviews for J.K. Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy had arrived in part due to particular political views in the novel. While promoting the book at the Cheltenham Literature Festival today, Rowling responded and disagreed with their opinions.
The Telegraph attended today’s event and says Rowling claimed critics “misrepresented” her social views after being “accused of hypocrisy in ridiculing the middle-class.”
“I am not a particularly thick-skinned person,” she said. “It is true that a lot of what I am looking at in the book are certainly middle-class issues, but then I think that’s fair and I am well-qualified as I am from the middle class, which I can empathise with. But I think some critics have misrepresented my views as more extreme or black and white than they really are. I don’t think I am evangelical in my work.”
Later in the event, Rowling said that her next book will likely be for children slightly younger than the Harry Potter audience. I have a lot of things on my laptop currently, including a couple of things for children – for a slightly younger age group than Harry Potter was aimed at – which are nearly done and will, I think, be the next thing I publish. I have run them by my children and they seem to like them which is always a good sign.
As for another adult novel? “I also have some ideas for another book for adults but it isn’t too far on [in development].”
These comments were ones that she’s repeated several times over the past few weeks while promoting The Casual Vacancy.
Photos from today’s event featuring Rowling proudly holding her book can be seen below thanks to Snitch Seeker
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