J.K. Rowling DEFIES cancel culture as Pottermore sees a SURGE in profits after author controversy

J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling defied cancel culture as her publisher got a rise in profits

PA
Gabrielle Wilde

By Gabrielle Wilde


Published: 02/01/2024

- 18:53

Updated: 02/01/2024

- 19:10

The Harry Potter author was 'cancelled' after she voiced her stance on protecting sex-based rights for women

J.K. Rowling has defied cancel culture after Pottermore saw a surge in pre-tax profits for the fiscal year 2023.

The author, who soared to fame with her Harry Potter series was 'cancelled' in 2020 after she voiced her stance on protecting sex-based rights for women.


The iconic author published an essay online in which she claimed - as a domestic violence survivor - that she felt allowing trans people to use single-sex bathrooms and changing rooms could be "offering cover to predators".

Her stance has caused fans and stars of the wizarding world like Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and Eddie Redmayne to speak out against the author.

JK Rowling

A trans backlash has failed to cancel JK Rowling after Pottermore publishers profits have soared

Getty/ ANGELA WEISS

This sparked a furious backlash from her follower who said that she had "destroyed her legacy."

However this has not been proven to be true as Rowling's renowned Harry Potter series and affiliated Wizarding World titles, experienced profits soaring in 2023.

The figures rose to £9.4 million, marking a substantial increase from the previous year’s £5.7 million.

Pottermore Publishing is the global digital audiobook and eBook publisher of J.K. Rowling's multi-million bestselling Harry Potter series and associated titles from the Wizarding World.

Harry Potter fans grab copys of the new and final Harry Potter book 'The Deathly Hallows' which went on sale at midnight at W H Smith Kings Cross in London

Harry Potter is a successful childrens book

PA

Jennie McCann, Pottermore’s Managing Director, released a statement that read: "We continue to look for ways to grow partnerships, build our language catalogue and reach new audiences with creative and promotional initiatives such as the annual Starting Harry Potter campaign for new readers."

In 2020 J.K Rowling defended her comments and took to social media to explain herself.

She said: "TERF Wars.” (TERF is an acronym that stands for trans-exclusionary radical feminist.)

“This isn’t an easy piece to write, for reasons that will shortly become clear, but I know it’s time to explain myself on an issue surrounded by toxicity. I write this without any desire to add to that toxicity."

JK Rowling arriving for the opening gala performance of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, at the Palace Theatre in London

JK Rowling said she has been "cancelled 4-5 times"

PA

“For people who don’t know: last December I tweeted my support for Maya Forstater, a tax specialist who’d lost her job for what were deemed ‘transphobic’ tweets.

"She took her case to an employment tribunal, asking the judge to rule on whether a philosophical belief that sex is determined by biology is protected in law. Judge Tayler ruled that it wasn’t.

She then went on to explain that she knew she would be cancelled when she supported Maya. She said: "I must have been on my fourth or fifth cancellation by then."

The author revealed that she had received a lot of abuse and claimed people said she was "killing others with my hate."

She finally explained that she has "five reasons for being worried about the new trans activism, and decided I need to speak up" in a detailed blog post.

You may like