JK Rowling writing an adult novel?

The influential writer has something new up her sleeve.

NEW YORK:

JK Rowling, whose Harry Potter fantasy book series became a global publishing phenomenon, is writing her first novel for adults but the title and plot are still a closely-guarded secret. The British writer, whose teenage boy wizard tales became international best-sellers and inspired a series of hit films, said on Thursday that her new novel would be “very different” to the Harry Potter books that made her a household name and took her from broke to billionaire.

“Although I’ve enjoyed writing it every bit as much, my next book will be very different to the Harry Potter series,” Rowling said in a statement.

“The freedom to explore new territory is a gift that Harry’s success has brought me, and with that new territory it seemed a logical progression to have a new publisher.”

Publisher Little, Brown and Company, part of the Hachette Book Group, acquired the rights to publish the book, whose title and publication date will be announced later this year. It is Rowling’s first major novel in several years after the last Harry Potter book in the series was published in 2007 and a supplement book in 2008.

The influential 46-year-old writer’s seven-book Harry Potter saga sold 450 million copies worldwide between 1997 and 2007 and the eight films from the Warner Bros studios have taken in more than $7.7 billion at global box-offices, making the films the largest-grossing franchise in history.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 26^th, 2012.