BBC to screen two-part JK Rowling documentary

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 13 Oct, 13:08 · Archive

The BBC has announced a two-part documentary about JK Rowling exploring her rise to fame and controversies over her views on gender identity and other issues.

The BBC has announced a two-part documentary about JK Rowling that will explore her life, cultural influence and contested legacy. Episode one will chart her path from a bookish childhood and time writing in Edinburgh cafés to unprecedented literary success with Harry Potter, the bestselling book series in history. Harry Potter transformed children's publishing and revitalised reading, the BBC said, with an economic legacy worth billions.

Episode two will follow Rowling as she steps out from behind her creation to become an increasingly powerful political voice. Amid the rise of social media and intensifying culture wars, the series will examine her interventions on Scottish independence, feminism, free speech and gender identity. The BBC said the documentary will draw on rare archives, Rowling's own words, and interviews from people who worked closely with her.

Rowling has become a controversial figure in recent years. She is admired by supporters as a fearless defender of women's rights and condemned by critics who call her an opponent of trans equality. The controversies have led her to become divided from some of the actors and fans who once championed her work.

Simon Young, the BBC's Head of Commissioning for History, said: '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.' The documentary is from Regan Scotland.

How it is being reported

• JK Rowling documentary announced charting author's dramatic rise and contested legacyThe two-part doc has been announced by BBC Scotland.Daily Record · 13 Oct, 12:27
• BBC announces JK Rowling documentary exploring her views on trans rightsThe BBC has announced a new two-part documentary about JK Rowling which will explore her rise to global fame and the controversies surrounding her views on Scottish independence, feminism, free speech and gender identityThe National · 13 Oct, 11:07

In this story: JK Rowling · BBC · Edinburgh · Britain · BBC Scotland

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