BBC commissions two-part documentary on polarising author J.K. Rowling
The series from Rogan Scotland will trace Rowling's rise from Edinburgh cafes to her role as a divisive political voice, and Rowling is not taking part.
The announcement
BBC Factual and BBC Scotland have announced a two-part documentary on J.K. Rowling, the author of Harry Potter, for BBC Two, BBC Scotland and iPlayer. The series is produced by Rogan Scotland, the company behind Becoming Frida Kahlo, and BBC Studios will handle its international distribution. The title is provisional, with Variety giving it as "J.K. Rowling". The Scotsman notes the documentary will be screened 30 years after the publication of the first Harry Potter book. El Periódico reports that the announcement comes ahead of the premiere of HBO's new Harry Potter television adaptation.
The two episodes
Episode one traces Rowling's path from a bookish childhood and time spent writing in Edinburgh cafes to the success of the books, which the BBC says transformed children's publishing and revitalised reading. The programme says the books created "a universe with an economic legacy worth billions" as they brought millions of young fans together through the emerging internet. Episode two follows Rowling as she "steps out from behind her creation and becomes an increasingly powerful political voice", using social media to address Scottish independence, feminism, free speech and gender identity. The series will draw on rare archive, Rowling's own words and interviews with people who worked with her. Variety reports that Rowling is not participating in the documentary. The Independent gives her age as 61 and recalls that she began writing the books as a struggling single mother.
Simon Young, head of commissioning for history at the BBC, explained the choice of subject:
Thirty years after the publication of the first Harry Potter book, there feels like no better time for the BBC to explore one of the towering figures of British literature.
Young also said that no cultural history of Britain in the 21st century would be complete without the story of the boy wizard, the publishing and film-making phenomenon Rowling spawned, or the polarising public figure she has become.
Rowling's public stance
Supporters admire Rowling as a defender of women's rights, while critics say she opposes trans equality. According to The Independent, she reasserted in July this year that "trans women aren't women". Rowling denies being transphobic and has said she respects "every trans person's right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them", adding that she wants trans people free from abuse and discrimination. She has also said she would rather go to jail than refer to a trans person by their preferred pronouns. In a 2020 personal essay, Rowling shared her experiences of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Divisions with the cast
In 2020 Daniel Radcliffe published an open letter condemning anyone causing "further harm" to the trans community. His former co-stars Emma Watson and Rupert Grint are among the original Harry Potter cast who oppose Rowling's remarks. Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Fiennes have defended her. The documentary will examine how Rowling found herself divided from some of the actors and fans who once championed her work, and it will assess how her social media interventions placed her at the centre of increasingly bitter online exchanges.
