As Britain voted to leave the EU, J.K. Rowling, Philip Pullman, Hugh Laurie, Neil Gaiman, and other respected artists are expressing their shock and fear.

What have we done? How could this happen? What’s going to happen to us?

These are some of the scary, heartbreaking questions resounding on social media this morning as the 48% of British Remain voters contend with the fact that Brexit is really happening — that despite a 75% Remain dominance among young people, older Brits secured an EU exit for future generations.

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling was obviously one of the Remain campaign’s most fervent supporters; a self-styled ‘internationalist,’ Rowling saw the value in international cooperation, trade and cultural exchange, and fears for the future.

Rowling even admitted that she wishes she had magical powers, in order to get the U.K. out of the almost certainly damaging Brexit:

And she’s not alone. Neil Gaiman, Philip Pullman, Alexa Chung, James Corden and Gary Lineker are a few of the authors, actors, singers, Bake-Off (of course) and sports stars who’ve taken to Twitter to express their shock — and their worry for their homeland’s future:


Indeed, this is unreal. For months, experts and industry leaders have cautioned that Brexit will lead to a massive loss of jobs, widespread poverty, and further fracturing of the United Kingdom.

The EU, an institution that has secured peace for Europe for half a century, is in jeopardy — leaving the entire region vulnerable.

In other words: Brexit is like that scary alternate reality where Voldemort won.

Happy Voldemort Day, everyone.