Two In The Think Tank - 109 - J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter

Episode Date: November 22, 2017

This week we dip into the Golden Hat and discuss the rags to riches story of Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling! We talk about her life pre-Potter and then how she went on to become one of the most successful British writers IN HISTORYYYYY.  Support the show and get rewards like bonus episodes: www.patreon.com/DoGoOnPod Twitter: @DoGoOnPod Instagram: @DoGoOnPod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DoGoOnPod/ Email us: [e-mail] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey everybody, Jess and Dave, just jumping in really quickly at the top here to make sure that you are across all the details for our upcoming Christmas show. That's right, we are doing a live show in Melbourne Saturday December the 2nd, 2023, our final podcast of the year, our Christmas special. It's downstairs at Morris House, which usually be called the European beer cafe. On Saturday December the 2nd, 2023 at 4.30pm, come along, come one, come all, and get tickets at dogoonpod.com. Are you working way too hard for way too little?

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Always drive safely. This podcast is part of the Planet Broadcasting Network. Visit planetbcasting.com for more podcasts from our great mates. Hello and welcome to another episode of Do Go On My Name is Dave Warnke and I'm sitting in a hot room with Matt Stewart and Jess Perkins. With a hot mat and a hot Jess. It's so hot. It's hard. It feels like only yesterday we were talking about how hot it is up here. And people love it when we do this. They love it so much. Talk about the temperature of a room you'll never go in last week.

I hope you never fucking go in this room. Stay out of our room. I'm at our hot it would be we had every single listener in here. It's physically impossible. David's a small room. And there are hundreds of thousands of listeners. Sorry, you mispronounced the word billions. Thank you, Pa. I'm being humble. Hundreds of thousands of billions. Yes, thank you. Sorry. Sorry, not a scuss maths.

As a math. At math. At math. It's very hot in here. It's very good in English. So good at everything. You're a little golden boy. Alright, Sassqueam. Just Perkins, it is your report. You're turned to do a topic?

I didn't write a question. That's right. I'll figure it out. What do we have? I said 109. I know. I never do. Hang on.

I'll just figure one out there. Hang on. We've been doing this for two years. I know. Two years. Yeah, but do you want to change me? You know, if you do, if you want to, yeah, I do. Yeah. If we do. But if you, while you, while you're thinking of a question, love to say hello to Elliot Ebony, Phoebe Joshens, Zoe, who I met up in Canberra, our nation's capital. Oh. A bunch of listeners came up and said hello after the show, which is really nice.

That is so awesome. And they definitely made me feel like we should go up there and do a lot of pod up there sometime maybe. I should talk to you guys about that off the air. Jess, have you thought of a question? Yes. Who is? Okay.

Um, one of the most successful British authors. Charles Dickens. Okay. Man, it's not Charles Dickens. Okay, roll down. No, we've done him. Rolled down. We've done rolled down.

Oscar Wilde. No. More modern. Shakespeare. Is it an author of plays? Also done him. More modern. J.K. Rollings. Yeah, okay. J.K. Rollling. That's amazing. So recently, you know, they've made that great mates group for podcasts in our world. Maybe we should plug that just in case people aren't aware. Okay, great. So basically, if you're not aware, on Facebook, Leavens, Planet Broadcasting, fellow legend.

Well, fellow legend. Fellow, fellow, fellow planet broadcasting member. Slash is called on several legends. But it's also called us legends. Oh, yeah, all right. I'll tell you that. Or two out of three of us legends and you make me legend by association.

Anyway, you make me legend, Daryl. He's created a private Facebook group, which I say private, but just means you have to click join to get in there. And it's for all the planet broadcasting mates, so all the shows you can chat about that are on our network. Yeah, I think it's called Planet Broadcasting Great mates. Yeah, it's really cool. It's great.

Anyway, there's a few thousand people in there already, so get on it if not. All right, okay, I just remembered why we went on this weird tangent. It's because someone, they, people ask questions all the time there. It's my whole Facebook feed now, there's people's posts. But anyway, one of them was, if you had to drop one of these franchises, what would it be?

Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Batman, Marvel Universe, Star Wars, and I'm like, oh, we've done a show on all of those apart from Harry Potter. That was this week. And here we are. That's crazy. It is crazy. And what's Harry Potter the franchise that everyone voted to drop and therefore we shouldn't bother talking about?

People were saying Harry Potter a lot. I voted for Lord of the Rings, but I didn't, I don't, I'd, I'd maybe I didn't actually vote because I don't want to offend anyone. Sure. Not certainly not in that world. God, there's some strongly held opinions and very friendly people in there. That's true. This is a golden hat suggestion and this is suggested by Rowan Epstein. Oh, sweet. So these are almost like the death throws of the Golden Hat because we revamped it to make it a different thing, a monthly live video amongst a few other things, a version. Yeah, this is on Patreon.

And we told the people that were in the Golden Hat, the nine people that were in there, they get to choose one final topic. Yeah. And so he has chosen to do, well, he's suggesting was J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter. Six. So my focus will be mostly on J.K. Rowling and obviously like her writing Harry Potter, but I figured it would be firstly it would take a very long time and also be quite spoiliful if I were to then explain the plot of all seven books. Alright, quick spoiler warning. Harry Potter, a boy wizard.

Oh my god, Matt. I haven't read it. I've got more to count. Actually, that was one of my questions. Have you... That's a pet owl called Hagrid. Have no, have you... Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Have you guys read the books and slash seen the films? I've seen the films. Not read the books. I've seen the books. Interesting. That doesn't answer the question.

Dave. I have read the books and seen a few of the films. That's not okay, cool. But, yeah, I think the films ruined it for me because the films started coming out and then when I went back to the books, I no longer use my imagination. I just don't imagine the actors. Right. And I hated that. Yeah, I remember getting upset that Daniel Redcliffe had blue eyes, Harry Potter has green eyes.

Oh, that is disappointing. That is so much fun. In my mind, he is Harry Potter. Interesting. But also, there were kids books and they came out when I was quite an old man. Yeah, but I assume I was. That's no excuse. Okay.

Also, there were kids movies and they came out when I was an even older man and I still watched them. Yeah, true. I thought they got increasingly good. Would that be fair? Yeah, I probably would. Increasingly adult, maybe. I'll clear that.

I'm sure. Yeah, I think that's true. Remember when that guy had no nose? Oh man, that was messed. Oh, who was that, Matt? I will never say his name. It's Gerald. I think, is it?

Gerald from a camp. Gerald from a camp. You said it. Fuck. What's wrong with you? I don't know. It's hot in here. Just will beat that name.

Thank you, Jess, please. I will beat that. Okay, so. Joanne rolling. Oh, spoilers. Hang on, her name is not JK. It's Joanne. No, I wonder she goes JK.

Why? You don't like Joanne? God, you've got... JK is cooler, right? Okay. Come with you. It's just cooler. I want to go ahead and limp here. With the K.

Yeah. Also the name of the dramatic-wise singer. Yeah, JK. I want to go out on limb here. With a K. Yeah. Also the name of the Jumericwai singer. Yeah, JK. I think. His name is JK. Yeah, that's what everyone calls him. And he wears lots of hats and has lots of cars.

I get him. He's my kind of guy. Oh yeah, he's my cosmic girl. Yeah, he's my little L. Okay, I literally got two words into the reports over well Let's talk a bit more about the back catalog of one Gameric one. I don't want to do that. Okay. I did not research the back catalog of Gameric one I could not possibly have made this this tangent would happen

You know, so you say the latest JK and you don't think of Jim Erich I wanted the greatest fungax of the 1990s The cat in the hat. Oh, please stop I wanted the greatest funk acts of the 1990s. The cat in the hat. Oh, please stop. Oh. This is. Well, this is, I'm ready to be disappointed with this report. This report is a new low.

I don't you always really be disappointed when I was there. No, never. Okay, well that's very sweet. If any new listeners, if we've got any new listeners based on JK Rowling or any listeners based on people that like to be a bit more quiet, I've mistaken JK for JK Rowling. Rowling. Or any listeners based on people that like you're Miraculian of mistaken J.K. for J.K. Rowling. They both definitely turned off now. And now we can begin. Great. So now. Yeah, that all those losers have gone. That was a real test and you passed it guys. Well done. Well done. You legends. Either that or you dropped your iPod and you can't find it. We kept playing on speaker.

Yeah. Oh, fuck don't! And you're at a funeral. Oh no. It's really embarrassing. Oh, this is awful. Sorry, grandma. Yeah. RIP. Oh.

Anyway, Joanne was born on 31st of July 1965 in Yét, Gloucestershire. Uh, 10 miles. Gloucester? No, Gloucestershire, great. Sorry. Fuck. You interrupted the teller that she'd said it right. Hahaha. She's ten miles or sixteen kilometers north east of Bristol.

Her parents were Peter James Rowling who was a Rolls Royce aircraft engineer. Wow, that sounds cool. That's pretty cool. And Anne Rowling who was a science technician. That sounds cool. That's sounds cool. That sounds cool. Her sister Diane was born at their family home when Joanne was 23 months old, but that just flipped his phone off the table,

called with his foot. That was one of the coolest things you've ever done. You are so cool. You are so cool. Yeah. I don't know how to do that now. No feet on the table. Sorry, sir. I don't know it now. No feed on the table. Sorry, sir.

I don't know why I said so hot. I'm not doing well. No, not doing well. Her sister Diane is just I have two years younger than her. The family moved to a nearby village of Winterborne when Rowling was four. As a child, she often wrote fantasy stories which she frequently read to a sister and age I thought I was like, please stop. Please stop these stories are childish When she was nine they moved to church cottage in the village of

Tutsil Tutsil. That's a big cute. How would you say that man? How would you miss pronounced Tutsil, Tutsil. That's a bit cute. How would you say that, man? How would you miss pronounce Tutsil? Church College. Nice. It sounds beautiful. It does sound Tutsil. Cottage, but okay. Church Cottage. That sounds like a made up place, right? Where you get, like that's them leaving someone they don't want to follow an old boy. Oh, I'm just going to church cottage in Tutsil near Chipsdove. So you just try it off there a little? Yeah, so you're just gonna put my pen out now if you want to give me that address again?

Tussle. Okay, Tussle. Tussle. Just stay on the, close the Wales. Okay, close the Wales, that should all, that should make it a lot easier. Sorry, I was down. She attended secondary school at the Wydean School

in college, where her mother worked in the science department. And Rowling said that her teenage years were quite unhappy. Their home life was complicated by her mother's illness. Her mum had multiple sclerosis and a strained relationship with her father with whom she is not on speaking terms still. So even as a teenager, they were not besties. When she was a young teenager, her great aunt gave her a copy of Huns and

Rebels, which is an autobiography by political activist Jessica Mittford, which describes her aristocratic childhood and the conflicts between her and her sisters, whose names were Unity and Diana. I mean, how do you name them Jessica Diana and then Unity? Yeah. I don't go. That was some sort of a mushroom trip or a cat last one. Well, her sisters, Unity and Diana, were ardent supporters of Nazism, and Jessica was a supporter of communism and alloped with her cousin to fight with loyalists in the Spanish Civil War, Diana grew up to marry Sir Oswald Mosley, the leader of the British Union of Fascists,

and Unity befriended Hitler. What the f**k? He praised her as an ideal of Aryan beauty. I'd who were these people again? So, every gay book. So, every gay book. A book about them. J.K. Rowling's been given a book. Oh, okay. I missed a bit of the words. J.K. Rowling's been given a book. Oh, okay. I missed a bit. I thought it was. Siblings are something.

Old is J.K. for starters. No, this is an order. And what is going on here? This is an autobiography written by Jessica Mitford. I did say that. It's not a cousin. The story makes Harry Potter seem very time and believable. I'm also just remembering how much J.K. Rowling's alleged.

Right, she's really cool, right? She's very cool. Yes. And so this writer Jessica Mitford became Rowling is a legend. She's really cool, right? She's very cool. Yes. Um, and so this writer Jessica Mifford became Rowling's hero, and she absolutely loved her. She read all- A drug of choice. She read all of her books. In an interview in 2002, um, J.K. Rowling said,

My most influential writer without a doubt is Jessica Mifford. Well, my great aunt gave me Huns and Rebels when I was 14. She instantly became my hero. She ran away from home to fight in the Spanish Civil War, taking with her a camera that she'd charged to her father's account. I wish I'd had the nerve to do something like that. I loved the way she never outgrew some of her adolescent traits, remaining true to her politics throughout her life. I think I've read everything that she wrote. I even called my daughter Jessica Rowling Arante's after her. So she was a really big influence of J.K. Rowling, which is really nice. Also, her name's Jessica,

so she must be a fucking stone-called fox. Any arguments, boys? I'm pretty keen on unity. Interesting. Well, Hitler said unity was a real fox. Oh, really? Panemous of into a corner here. He said she was the ideal of Aryan beauty, so yeah, sounds like unity was a real bad. Oh, really? Panemus up into a corner here. He said she was the ideal of Aryan Beauty. So yeah, sounds like Unity was a real fox. Good call. Sounds like the name of a gladiator from the old 90s TV show.

Let's hear it for Unity! Yeah. Yeah. In 1982, Rowling took the entrance exam of Oxford University, but she wasn't accepted, and instead she got into a BA in French and classics at the University of Exeter. Ben Exeter? Have you? Exeter.

That's in the southwest, I believe. Was there a pub down there? Yeah, yeah, Exeter. I will remember a big cathedral. Did you go into the cathedral? That's go to the punch. I went to wow look I walked past the cathedral and the way of the public I had a great night out next to her. I I believe in that. Well, they're playing NFL American football. Yeah hockey. I want to see a soccer game near there in Yovil just over the border. Yovil at home in Yovilill playing Portsmouth, it was a preseason game, it was sick.

I want to live in Yovill. Yovill was right, they were green and white hoops, then still my favorite fourth division, professional soccer team in the NFL. You have a team in every league in the whole world. Yes. It's amazing. I'm trying to. It's actually incredible.

Fourth division. Who's your seventh division team? seventh division that would be the cockles Multas. Oh, yeah, the Improvs Jan's still strong Give him a low five for that one really should have said that Tanny said before they were doing very funny. He should have said days They were doing very funny. We should just say day. Shhh. Day. Anyway, Martin Sorrell, who is a French professor at the university, remembers a quietly competent

student with a denim jacket and dark hair who, in academic terms, gave the appearance of doing what was necessary. The Jess Perkins approach. That's so high. It sounds like she killed when needed. Oh. I will do anything necessary. All pass.

Boy, any means. Now. Yeah, I didn't quite read that, but I think you're right. She's saying that as she's... Murdering. ...shiving her teacher in the back. I said, if you didn't give me a pass, Mr. Dick Fies. Mr. Dick Fies.

Which was a weird name, but I think she used it in... It was French. ...and a later Harry Potter book. It's D-Far. D- Dickface. Mr. Dickface. Which was a weird name, but I think she used it in a later Harry Potter book. It's Defars. Defars. Okay. Come on mate. Professor Dickface. Get a dickface.

I get this every year on D1. Change your name then. Change your name. If your name was Dickface, you'd change it. Dickface. Yeah, but it's Dickface, isn't it? Written down, it's Dickface isn't it written down it's dickface I never pronounce things I'm so mad at a fictional character

I'm really mad at him for that what JK does she paints characters that can you make you believe that real I can't do that now I can't do it now I can't do it now I could not the owl to wash the talkingge. Why is he carrot? I don't know. There's a magic land. Open your eyes and my eyes. Hey, I don't know if you're going to get across this, but at one point there's a in the films and I'm saying I think it might be Hagrid, but he's like a half giant half human. That's Hagrid. That's Hagrid. Okay, great. The owl's got an owl. Okay, great. I was going to say I'll be confusing if I had an owl and a half giant half human. Both named Hagrid. They always in the head. Okay, great. I was going to say I'll be confusing for that an Al and a half giant, half human, both

named Hagrid. They're not. Okay. Well, great to disagree. No, no. That's correct. Okay, just. Anyway, so, and then they later in the movie showed what a giant looks like right, which

is huge. Correct. Like, you'd step so where to believe that Hagrid's mum or dad was a human who fucked a giant who like he would fit. His mother was a giant. My God. So how did said the dad must have crawled up inside the mom and gizzed. No, he used it. Right, how did it happen? He used the cup. And threw it inside? He's a really good... Did he have a very good arm?

Yes. Have you thought about the mechanics of that? Has that ever been brought up before? I remember watching that going on. I've got so many questions. Turkey Baster. Right, but real big. A dragon turkey baster.

He had to do a few comes. But then there was enough that she got a giant size turkey bass during that's like a domestic cat impregnating a lion. Yeah, it's like that. Any further questions? No, it all makes sense now. You glad you brought this out? No, it's like a domestic cat in pregnant lady in blue whale. I'm talking about JK Rowling and now you're talking about a man trying to fuck a giant. No, she talked about that. Yeah.

No, she didn't talk about that. And she should have. No. She implied it, didn't she? No, it's a children's series. Well, I mean, that's not appropriate, is it, JK? Why not? You're very slippery right now, Jess. Well, I mean that's not appropriate is it J.K. Why not?

Jesus you're very slippery right now, yes, okay? Because all of the characters in the book would have come from two people who had fucked. Yes, but I only she didn't go into The origins of every character and their parents' sexual experience not at all. How they were conceived. No, that is very strange They're long books, but they're not that long. I think that's what I said she leave out. That's lazy. You got to paint a real back story for me to believe the character exists. So you need to hear about the story. I need to see hear how they were conceived. Oh, yeah. Thank you. I hate this. I mean they did it with other children's books. From Emma's spot. Yeah, we all know where spot came from. Yeah. did it with other children's books from him to spot. Yeah, we all know where spot came from. Yeah.

What happened to spot? Doggy style. Mmm. Seriously, you're not going to do a regret face after that. You don't regret that one at all. It's too hot to regret. I don't think that's the thing. Can I go on?

Please. Fuck. So, she was a competent student. She recalls doing very little work, preferring to listen to the smiths and read Dickens and Tolkien. Oh and now she's talking my language. She cool. After a year of study in Paris, she graduated from uni in 1986 and moved to London to work

as a researcher and bilingual secretary for Amnesty International. After working at Amnesty International in London, she and her then-boy friend decided to move to Manchester where she worked at the Chamber of Commerce. In 1990, while she was on a four-hour delayed train trip from Manchester to London, the idea for a story of a young boy attending a school of wizardry came fully formed into her mind. And as soon as she got home that afternoon, she started writing. So that was in early 1990. In December of 1990, her mother and died after 10 years suffering from multiple sclerosis. Rolling was writing Harry Potter at the time and had never told her mother about it.

Her mother's death heavily affected Rolling's writing and she channeled her own feelings of loss by writing about Harry's feelings of loss in greater detail in the first book. That's where I need to interview with her and she was like, it was one of my biggest regrets is that I didn't like tell Mum about the book that I was writing. Because like look what it went on to become. Yeah. Isn't that crazy? Yeah.

You that your Mum would never, obviously your parents want the best for you, but you would never knew Wilder streams would imagine that you would become the wealthiest author on the planet. Yeah, she was seeing it as a secret shame almost Maybe I'll just like just like a little side project just a little hobby Like I don't tell my parents about the podcast Yeah, that's because they listen you don't have to don't have to they're very supportive they're great people. Hey John Hey, Annie They'll get a real kick out of that. Well, do I still listen?

I don't know. So they get through all that bullshit that we've just done? No, they'll listen. Sorry about the turkey buster. Yeah, come on. Anyway, and them doing it is why I exist. Oh, that's true. Let's talk about your origin story.

I don't want it. I need to know. I don't know. I don't know. Do I understand how you exist? I don't want to know. Well, when a Johnny loves them. Oh, fuck off! You definitely brought that up. I know, but I was hoping it would end. Anyway, moving on, an advertisement in the Guardian led rolling to move to Portugal to teach English as a foreign language. She taught at night and began writing in the day while listening to Chikofsky's violin concerto.

That's how I like to write, but a Chikofsky in the background, am I right? I love a good concert. Love it. How do you imagine that you read that, then put the music on and write the rest of the report to the music? Obviously. Obviously, but me. After 18 months in Portugal, she met a Portuguese television journalist whose name was George Arantens in a bar and they felt that they showed an interest in Jane Austen. They married on 16th of October 1992 and their child Jessica,

named after Jessica Mietford, was born the 27th of July 1993 in Portugal. They work fast, right? So what do they meet? Married in October, had the door open to... What were they made before the... I'm not sure. Sorry. I find an interest in Jane Austen is probably not enough. To marry and have a kid within weeks.

Well there's no aphrodisiac like Jane Austen. Oh yeah. Oh Mr. Doss. No need for a turkey buster. Mm-hmm. I'm choosing a distance. Okay. Like high pressure gizz.

Yeah. You know what I mean? No regret face to that one. It's too hot or regret, isn't it? Too hot to regret. I get it now. Dave? I'm waiting for my lack of regret.

So those are the day. The couple separated four months later in November of 1993. Ha! Told you the Jane Austen wasn't enough to base an entire relationship on. And then the next month in December, rolling in her then infant daughter moved to Edinburgh to be near Rolling Sister Diane. And they had not very much with them but

she did have three chapters of what would become Harry Potter in her suitcase. So seven years after graduating from university she saw herself as a failure. Her marriage had failed, she was jobless, she had a dependent child, but she described her failure as liberating and allowing her to focus on writing. Although during this period, she was diagnosed with clinical depression and contemplated suicide. So she's saying that it was very liberating, but also she was clinically depressed, which is... That's like those peaks and troughs.

Yeah, and I suppose that's quite true. Her illness actually inspired the characters known as Dementals, which are soul-sucking creatures introduced in their third book. So she kind of based them off depression, which when you think about it, you're like, yeah, that works. She signed up for welfare benefits, describing her economic status as being as poor as it's possible to be in modern Britain without being homeless. So things were pretty tight for her for a long

time. Her husband turned up in Edinburgh, much to her horror, and she filed a restraining order against him. And so he returned back to Portugal, and then she filed for divorce the following August, which was 1994. She began a teaching, a teacher training course in August of 1995 at the Morey House School of Education, which is at Edinburgh Uni. After completing her first novel, while living on state benefits, she wrote in many cafes, especially Nicholson's Cafe, which was owned by her brother-in-law, and the elephant house,

and wherever she could get Jessica to fall asleep. In a 2001 interview, she denied the rumor that she wrote in local cafes to escape from her unheated flat. People were like, I'll write it up, hurt that. Have you? Yeah, she was like, no, it had heating, but I thought it was like she couldn't afford the heating. So she had to go to a cafe. Obviously, romanticized

the story a bit. I suppose yeah, but she said the reasons that she wrote in cafe was that taking the baby out for a walk was the best way to get her to fall asleep. So she would do that. And then while the bulb was sleeping, she would sit in right. Which kind of works. That sounds like a stressful way to write a book. Mm. Like bits at a time.

Yeah. Not not knocking out a solid six hours here. It's like, all right, 15 minutes. Not the babies away. Yeah, that. Yeah, I guess so. Take a while. But hey, that explains why in the book, every third or fourth page is a crying baby.

Because that did seem a little weird. It was weird that they adapted that into the film too. It was. Every few minutes. It would be a crying baby. Well, that's got to be true to the text. You're right. You're right.

Fans would have been furious otherwise. Yes. But where was the crying baby? In 1995, Rolling Finish Toe finished her manuscript for Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone on an old manual typewriter. So this whole time she'd been on a typewriter or just the last bit? I don't know. I suppose I thought she was writing like in notebooks and stuff but I assume you'd be sort of like writing down notes and then transcribing that into her. She wrote it on a typewriter. This is

sort of the early mid-90s. Well that's 95, yeah. I think there wouldn't have been laptops then I don't think. There would be big ones but she's also very poor. Yeah I think that would cost thousands. Yeah they were very expensive and not all that accessible. And the full-em-based Christopher Little literary agents agreed to represent Rowling in her quest for a publisher. The book was submitted to how many publishing houses do you want to guess? Oh, I love it to be one and just no one has regrets.

They all rejected it, so there's more than one. Oh, I'm just... It's something in the 20s, maybe 27. Lower. Twelve. Correct! Yes. How did you get 12? Dirty dozen.

Baby. How did you do that? Did you look at my laptop? No, I just said. Matt, did you look at my typewriter? I can't, I can hardly see through the delirium. Little owner. Why? Why are you a bit delirious?

It's very hot in here. Oh, is it? Have we mentioned that? Sorry. I was gonna say I'm cool as a cucumber. I started. I'm so hot. I can't speak. So yeah, they submitted it to 12 publishing houses and all of them rejected the manuscript. A year later, she was finally given the green light and a 1,500 pound advance by editor

Barry Cunningham from bloomsbury got a hope he gets rich uh... which is a publishing house the decision to publishes to publish rolling book owes much to Alice Newton the eight year old daughter of bloomsbury's chairman who was given the first chapter review by a father and immediately demanded the next

all right that is good so they're like we're on to win. Remind me of that team that was in the swimsuits with Kent Brockman and at least daughter. She's like, that's boring. Do a story about my darling, the new Malibu Stacy thing, and he goes, yeah. Well, you were right about the Berlin Wall.

I'm so love. I'm so love. And a load blimmed three agreed to publish the book. Cunningham said that he advised Rolling to get a day job since she had very little chance of making money in children's books. He was like, yeah, we'll publish it, but Jay, just a little FYI. I would probably get a day job. Okay.

Okay. Which is pretty funny now. Soon after in 1997, Rolling received an £8,000 grant from the Scottish Arts Council to enable her to continue writing. So to finish off this... Not the first one? No, to continue, I think, with the rest of the series, because they'd already agreed to publish... The publisher would already agreed to publish the first book. In June of 1997, Bloomsbury published Philosopher's Stone with an initial print run of a thousand copies,

500 of which were distributed to libraries. Oh, must, imagine the first edition of that. Yeah. How much do you think that might be worth now? Oh, ten thousand. Ten thousand. Two thousand pounds. More.

Really twenty. Between sixteen and twenty-five thousand. Those are the... Poons. Poons. What do you... So, that's what, like, Those are the... Poons. So that's what, like, double? My blooming art. Which I believe is a phrase in England. Why not be?

Blumenart. I reckon it probably is. So it was published in June and five months later the book won its first award, which was a Nestle Smarties book prize. It sounds like a coloring comic book. It does, doesn't it? She submitted in every comp available.

Yeah. Well, we assume this was written by a seven-year-old so congratulations. And it's very good. It's written with four and seven year olds. And it's very good. It's written with four and seven year olds. Kamal leave you kept the words in between the lines. The four 400 pages.

They're very impressive. The following February the novel won the British Book Award for Children's Book of the Year and later the Children's Book Award. In early 1998, auction was held in the United States for the rights to publish the novel and was won by Scholastic for US $105,000. Getting better. So she's starting to make some kiiish. Things are looking up.

Cash money. I really hope it works out there. She said that she nearly died when she heard the news. That's galactic. Oh, I can help imagine that. Yeah, it's such a rags to riches. You know? And then she almost died when the money was starting to come in.

Fucking fuck. They shipped it in by the truckload, and she was nearly buried alive Jesus It's weird. It's weird that she asked to be paid in cash to harrowing in coins. It was really silly not all at once It was backing up Well, this is so bittersweet she chose on coins Well this bit is so bittersweet she chose Uncoing. My love buddy! So in October of 1998, it's Glastic Published Philosopher's Stone with the US title of Harry

Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I don't know why there was that much change but she now regrets that change and would have fought a bit harder for it not to be changed. So then movies and everything are called the sorcery stone? Oh I'm actually not sure it was Falsaf is here. I just remember that like suddenly 30 was 13 going on 30 in America. I had a... 13 going on 30, right? Is it, is it, like, I don't want to be rude, but the things need to be spelled out

a bit more into Americans. What's a philosopher? Sosera, I love it. No, that doesn't, yeah, because Sosera like would be a more obscure occupation, I would have thought. Yeah, philosophy., because sorcerer would be more obscure Occupation I would have thought yeah, philosophy. So maybe I needed a bit more obscure Harry Potter and the magic land of magic This sounds fantastic Harry Yeah goes to a school slow down. Oh, no, you've lost me again

So many of our listeners are American and we love you all so much guys you're the good ones you're big dummies you know what philosophers are not like the rest of your country maybe that but it maybe you'd be like like Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone reading that you're not thinking magic where it's all so strong you think anything in does a magic that says magic magic I reckon that would have caught what someone said in a meeting one time they probably have a stone doesn't say magic sorceress stone that says magic then call it Michael magic hands yeah so they probably would have done like some sort of focus group or something yeah focus focus group yeah and at the end they're like why do you just call it the hogas focus group or something. Yeah, focus focus group. Yeah.

And at the end, they were like, why do you just call it the focus focus group? And they nearly did. Harry Potter and the focus focus group. I reckon it would have been a hit. Focus would have been better. Sorry about everybody. You know, you make less foot second decisions

and you know, you live the rest of the podcast with regret. Focus focus focus. Are you working way too hard for way too little? There's never been a better time to consider a career in IT. You could enjoy a recession resistant career and a rewarding field with plenty of growth opportunities and often flexible work environments. Go to mycomputercareer.edu and take the free career evaluation.

You could start your new career in months, not years. Take classes online or on campus, and financial aid is available to qualified students, including the GI Bill. Now is the time, mycomputercareer.edu. Um, so, first book's out. It's out in America. Oh my gosh.

Um, it's sequel, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was first published in July of 1998 and again, rolling one, the smarties prize. Two years running, baby. Has that ever been done? Oh, she goes one further. Can I just ask, what do they call it in America? M&Ms. The Chamber of M&Ms.

Oh, the book. Still the Chamber of M&Ms. Oh, at the book. Still the Chamber of Secrets. They call it the cave of whispers. This is the cave of shh. Shusha. The cave of shushes. I think Chamber of Secrets was pretty idiot-proof. I don't know.

And America, Chamber, means part of your gun. Ah, there's lots of secrets in there. Harry Potter and the Gun J. We're secrets. Shh. Yeah, just on whispering to the gun. Shushing the smoker away. Ah, good on you.

I love guns too. I love America. In December of 99, the third novel Harry Potter and the Prisoner Ask a Band won the Smarties Prize. What three in a row? That made her the first person to win the award three times running. This is so good. She later withdrew the fourth Harry Potter novel from contention to allow other books of fair chance. That is good.

To allow other six year olds to win the colour and composition. Yeah. They could on Jack, okay? That is so good. So in January of 2000, um... Kind of just... that is extremely nice, but also extremely arrogant at the same time, because you just assume you're gonna win. Oh yeah, this is definitely gonna win, so I'll withdraw that to give you a shot.

Well, I just think that's sharing the love. Sharing the love, you know? Okay, well, I'm gonna withdraw this podcast from the upcoming Academy Award nominations. No Dave. No Dave, no. I'd like to give everyone else a shot. David, no.

No, no, no. We need that publicity. You want that? Yes. We need that golden Academy Award. We need it. Okay. Sick of seeing all of anti-donna's awards in their office.

I've got so many. They've got so many awards, all these plaques. They don't have any Oscars. Not a single Oscar. They do have. Sibarasing actually. A signed framed photo of me in their office. Oh, which I put there.

We don't have that in our office. Oh, we don't have an office. I don't have an office. I believe it used to be called the E-GOT. Now it's the G-GOT. Because you get the Emmy, the Grammy, the Oscar the Tony Tony you get the signed photo of GS yeah so they've got it all five so the J is pronounced G yeah Matt it's show business don't question it come on man sorry I felt almost almost like question show business anyway the fourth book Harry Potter and the Goblet

of Fire was released simultaneously in the UK and the US Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, was released simultaneously in the UK and the US. Harry Potter and the Big Cup of Flank. The Flaming Cup, man. Flaming Cup. Flaming Cup Cup. The brackets do not bring from the cup. It was released in the UK and the US on the 8th of July and broke sales records in both countries.

372,775 copies of the book were sold in the first day in the UK. That is so many. Almost equaling the number of prisoner of ask-a-man sold during its first year, which was the book before it. So it's building. And in the US, the book sold three million copies in its first 48 hours. Three million. So that was, yes, so that was in the times where people were lining up. I vaguely remember that. It was on the news people lining up for the bookshop to open It's such a I always love the line up to get something that you could walk in and get the next day Yeah, but with a book or something that makes sense because you don't want spoilers or something

But what about a phone you don't get phone spoilers. Yeah, so it's ridiculous Yeah, what fucking life all you get a, get the get fixed in the early months. Exactly. They work at the first people get their credit card details stole, and then the second people don't. And I want that experience. I would love to have my credit card details stolen. It's putting in a habit.

I don't have to give a secret card number. I know a pretty easy way for that to happen. Well, I want to make them work for it. Roling was named all through the year in the 2000 British book awards, author of the year. How many smarties did she win? At Lifetime's the Cheap. At Lifetime. Oh, man. So does that please stop submitting your books. Yeah. It just have all the smarties you want, which are like,

Amen, Amen. It's for anyone out there. Yeah, but I don't like smarties. So all the smarties you want would be like one of those little tiny packets and I'd probably give a to a friend That for you. That's a lifetime. So either of you like Smarties. Yeah, okay, then I'd give them to you I used to go in the dinner, but I think Eminem's a better Eminem's a better. I'm a chocolate in him. Definitely on team Eminem. Yeah No Smarties can fuck off, but I'll eat him. No, I won't if you said do you know what I'm not? I've got nah But I'll eat them. No, I won't you said do I smile? I've got nah Yeah, Skittles on the other hand holy shit get them in me get them in me my mind let me have them still Why I get real hyped? Oh, that's awesome

Let's get a repack orange lemon lime mix them in you create a new flavor What's it called? That was an old Skittles ad where you go? You can make up any flavors and they're putting different varieties in their mouths. That is fun. Orange lemon lard. They called it like they had put my toes in the woods. They didn't even give it a new name. I just... I'd have called mine Greg.

Tastes Gary. Who am I kidding? Yeah, I'm a big Gary. Tastes the Greg. I don't want to taste the Greg. Tastes Greg. Get out of my mouth, Greg. Ew! Why is Greg in there Gary. Taste the Greg. I don't want to taste the Greg. Taste Greg. Get out of my mouth, Greg.

Ew, why's Greg in there? Stop it, Greg. I'm just imagining a guy with his hand in your mouth. Get out of my mouth, Greg. Taste my green finger. Oh, Greg. Oh, dude. Man, it does taste nice.

I call the citrusy goodness, but. Still, get that checked. Anyway, a weight of three years occurred between the release of Goblet of Fire and the fifth Harry Potter novel, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. People must have. Three years. No, just Flamethrower. Yeah, it would have been chicken and chips, please. Order. Yep, I get it. Chicken and different kind of bird.

What about that? Three chips in there as a bonus. Group of the fire chicken. Yeah, group of the fire chicken. Fire chicken. We all belong to the fire chicken. We are the fire chicken. We all belong to the fire chicken. We are the fire chicken. It's cold. This gaplet to press speculation that rolling had

developed writer's block speculation that she denied. She said that writing the book was a chore that it could have been shorter and that she ran out of time and energy as she tried to finish it. Also, she's not happy with that one. Yeah maybe yeah. Is that same? Do you have a general idea of how they were received overall? Like is there a one that's not as the classic or anything like that? For me number five the start is very boring. Okay. It is. There's just a lot of them hiding out in a thing and they just like it's just three two hundred and fifty or three hundred pages of not not much which one is your favorite number three three really good the prisoner of basketball yeah serious black yeah he's

really cool yeah I like that movie I think which is a fucking love loop yeah the wolf man yes great because I get yeah because loop anyway but also it's got job in as well. Is that that one? Joey Joey we job it doby we doby We doby I was better correct you to goby and I thought I was not being funny Doby you mean goby Goby is no goby no, doby yeah that was heartbreaking I was gonna say. Gobi. No, Gobi? No, it's Dobby.

It's Dobby. Yeah, that was heartbreaking. Spoilers. Potentially. That was number five. Oh, that was five. Oh. But he came about.

He came about. Anyway, this doesn't matter. No, I find him irritating. In the films, especially, this sort of want to kick him into it. Like a cave and seal the door. That's my thoughts on Dobby. Oh. That is gonna have some unpopular. Oh, thank you.

Yes, people love Dobby. I thought he was the Jar Jar Binks of Harry Potter. Really? I'm so sorry. I'm so Dobby. I'm so Dobby. Anyone who feels offended, I will personally give a copy too. Oh my god. David stop talking. That's an over promise. I'm gonna keep going. The sixth book which is Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Dave.

Harry Potter and my dead shit brother. Harry Potter and my dead shit brother. It was released in July of 2005. It too broke all sales records. It sold 9 million copies in its first 24 hours. In 2006... Sorry, I was on down. How many of the numbers are you? 9 million in the first 24 hours. That's fucked up.

Harry Potter and the economic vice president. Ah, blood. up. Harry Potter and the economic vice president. I've blood prints you into vice president. It's Americanizing. Because it's not quite the king. Yeah. I get it. I follow your logic there. Good job. So it was it was year by year for the first four, then a three year gap. Yeah, so that makes sense to people be like, what the fuck's going on? And also, they start getting way thicker too. Right. But the first three are quite thin. I wonder if she considered just splitting them up

then in the later ones. They would have just gone forever. Yeah. Like that series would have been like 10 books long. And her publisher would have been like, that is awesome. Yeah. Holy crap.

And people would have lapped it up for sure. And what, have the movie started by this stage? When did the movie, because there were still books coming out while movie started? Yeah, that's right. Yeah, so the first movie came out in 2001. I'll talk about the movies in a second as well. And what, and when, also where were the books out in 2001? Um, a good question. The... I was just wondering if that three-year gap should have spent any time thinking about the movie like getting that developed or anything as well By the time the first movie came out. I think the first four books were done. Right. Yeah, right

And then there was that gap so that that totally makes sense. She was working. She was probably thinking about the movie a bit Maybe I Can't speculate on what she was thinking at the time to be honest, but I also can't prove you wrong So yes, so definitely I'm right. It's a very good point. But I also can't prove you wrong, so yes. So yes. So definitely I'm right. There's maybe assumption that you're right. Well, I like that rule.

The title of the seventh and final Harry Potter book was announced on the 21st of December 2006 as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Scary forest. Harry Potter and the Scary Forest. Wooo! So scary! Scary forest That's good. It's a halos is like a forest Not got any what's that what's that read reference? Oh, well, I only remember the only other place Remember it is that movie shallow halos No, that's not how what's that black fill? No, what who do I see is the one with Johnny Depp in it

Which is that that's the one where he's got a headless horseman? That's a hellos Johnny Depp in the headless horseman The deathly hellos. No, yeah, the Harry Potter and the deathly hell. Okay Hello, we're back to the where we started To hello is to make holy your sacred I like scary forest I'm just gonna stick with it scary for us is great and in the context it works Americans will love it Trust me. I'm gonna rerelease all the books. We won't tell them that they're not new books I still think will sell a few million before they catch on

This is a fun little fact in February of 2007 It was reported that rolling wrote on a bust in her hotel room at the Belmoral Hotel in Edinburgh But she had finished the seven book in that seventh book in that room on the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh that she had finished the 7th book in that room on the 11th of January 2007. She wrote that on a bus. She wrote it on a bus in the hotel room. That's kind of cool. Like J.K. Roll, she finished her book.

Like a real party. That's very cool. Hmm. Harry Potter and the Deathly Helles was released on the 21st of July and Broke It's predecessor's records as the fastest-selling book of all time. That's because it's the final one and people wanted to find out what happened before anyone. Exactly. I remember my girlfriend at the time was one of those people that lined up to get it.

And you dumped her shortly. I went out that night to see a band play and she was like, I can't come, I've got to finish this. She read it in one day? Yeah, and I judged it for that. It was a big book. Yeah. People really set aside some time.

Yeah. I think, I don't know if I love or hate that behavior. I can't, I judged it for that. It was a big book. Yeah, but people really set aside some time. Yeah, I think I don't know if I love I hate that behavior. I can't. I'm not quite sure. Well, I feel like you'd do it for something else. But if not a Harry Potter series, maybe you would do it for something else. Just... Well, with the final Poirot episode, that was like for many months before I watched it because I didn't want it to be over. Oh, that's so cute! I want to be a savor it. I bet you did. Oh, you're a cutie pants. And it is a dramatic finale, can I just say? Don't give anything away. Yeah, but last time you got Crucified first. I bet that bought some curtains. You know what? Bet the curtains did it. Is that a dead? I can't, oh my god, you've got it. This ruined everything.

The curtains did it. This ruined everything. The curtains did it. So yeah, the book sold 11 million copies on its first day of release in the United Kingdom and the United States. The book's last chapter was one of the earliest things she wrote in the entire series. So she knew how it was going to end from the beginning. That's very cool. So a lot of the other stuff in the middle, she maybe sort of worked out as she went, but

she had a pretty good idea of where it was going. Yeah. Which is pretty cool. Which is pretty cool. Which is pretty cool. The owl's name was Hagrid. Yeah. But by the end you knew it wasn't going to be called Hagrid.

Yeah. Because it was going to be confusing, because the big guy was also known that. Do you remember the final chapter? It was the flash forward. Yes, it's when, I don't know, a lot of say this. Yeah, it gets a bit of a speed of 10 years. It's pointless. If you don't want to know this, flip forward a couple of minutes.

It's when Harry and his little gang are taking their kids to the station to drop them off to Hogwarts for the first time. So it's sort of like, I think it's 10 or something years later. So it's like the next generation. No, it doesn't. It must be much longer than it is. They call it a Harry's like the next generation. No, it must be much longer than the next generation. They call it a Harry Potter. The next generation.

Wow. Next gen. Degrassi genu-hi. Wow. Do you reckon she'll ever do that? Cash in and. What? Right, the next.

Right more. I don't know. I think she's kind of said no. She's done with it. She'll die on someone else's work, yes. Maybe. Yeah. What about half a lead to killer mockingbird?

Yeah. Someone sort of probably possibly forced her to publish something just before she died. Yeah, that's for something about a lot less good. Yeah. I started to read it, got mad at something that happened in the plot and stopped reading. I was on a plane soon extra, David Quirk. And I read something that I didn't want to read and I went They went what's wrong? I said nothing and I closed it was on my iPad. I closed it. I just sat there grumpy

You closed your iPad I closed my iPad. Wow. I folded it in half. I broke my iPad That's why David Quirk Greg comedian was asking you what was wrong? Yeah, cuz I snapped it. I bad nothing David Leave me alone. Anyway. So 10 years has been since the last one. Wow, amazing. Harry Potter is now a global brand with an estimated $15 billion US dollars in the last four Harry Potter books. I've consecutively set records as the fastest selling books in history. records as the fastest-selling books in history. The series, totaling 4195 pages, has been translated in whole or in part into 65 languages. My uncle has a copy of the first one in Latin. Did your uncle speak or read Latin? He was studying Latin at a time.

Wow. Did he get it anywhere with the studies? Drackinginking he could have a crack at reading and understanding Well, the problem. Yes. I'm just gonna say yes Incredible I'm so impressed. Yeah, and you're right to be In October of 1998 Warner Brothers purchased the films rights to the first two novels for a seven figure sum So that's in the million Million plus so the movies were pretty I've got like a list here of sort of when they came out and they were fairly consecutive. So like 2001, the first one, and 2002, the second one, both directed by Chris Columbus. Then there's a couple of years 2004 for the next one and that was directed

by Alfonso Qur'an. The next year in 2005 for the fifth fourth book that was directed by Alfonso Quran. Quran? I don't know. I don't know anyone. The next year in 2005, for the fifth fourth book, that was by Mike Newell. And then on the last four movies, were all directed by David Yates, and they came out in 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011. So that was sort of like fairly close,

and just like banged him out. But that's 10 years that all of the cast and everything working together. Wow, yeah, right. Really consistently. So those kids literally grew up together. That's crazy. It is 10 years, wow. That's such a long time. I guess I never really thought about it quite like that. And I don't think there would have been that much of a break between filming. You know, you'd sort of have a bit of a few months off and then you'd be back to it.

You know? A weird way to grow up. Yeah. They seem to have all... Yeah, but none of them seem crazy, do they? No. They seem weird. Like, a lot of child actors don't have to be. Yeah, I think one of them did turn out to be hot, herald hog bottom. Ron Weasley. Never long bottom is who you're talking about. yes, he did have to what he had to pretend to be ugly. Oh my god, he's a babe

Not the same thing wrong with being ugly. I'm certainly one of those people. Hey I'm just saying I'm on my own too. If you want me to tell you you're good looking I will I will look you in the eye And I will lie to make you feel good. I don't want that. I don't want to feel good. He's fishing. He wants us to tell you. You are beautiful. Well, you've got me hooked a line and sinker. You are a beautiful man. You are the most beautiful man in that corner of the room. Oh, Jess, good, very, very, very well stepped around there.

Thank you. I wouldn't want to lie to women and say it's the best looking man in the room. That's for sure. That's for sure. I just like having a win by default. Like I'm the best looking man in the room. That's for sure. That's for sure. I just like having a win by default. Like I'm the best looking woman in the room at the moment. Can I argue with that? I can't argue.

You can't. So that's fine. Why argue with that? Thank you. I choose not to argue with that. Very good. So Warner Brothers took considerable notice of Rowling's desires and thoughts when drafting her contract.

One of her principal stipulations was that the film's be shot and written with an all-British cast which has been generally adhered to. There's a few sneaky Americans in there. Who get them out? I don't know. I'm trying to think of the cast and I think they are mostly British. Are there who else is there? Is an American owl playing Haggar? Yeah that was it, yep.. American Al played the giant. So yeah, you're right. She also, she also demanded that Coca-Cola, who was the, there was a big race to tie their products to the film series. So there's all these different big brands who I wanted to

be, I suppose, sponsors and official soft drink of Harry Potter. Exactly. So, drink what Harry drinks? Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola won that, but she insisted that they donate $18 million to the American charity reading is fundamental, as well as several community charity programs. So she's like, yep, you can be part of Harry Potter icebows, but you have to make this huge donation.

Wow. It's commendable, which is pretty cool. The first four films, as well as a sixth, seventh and eighth, so only the fifth one was missed out, was scripted by Steve Cloves, rolling assisted him with the writing process, ensuring that all of his scripts didn't contradict future books in the series. So he's kind of writing for what has already been published, but she's making sure they don't allude 20. So she had to keep whispering, just don't kill Harry. He was like, oh, get the rubber out for that one. He's going to be the big finish.

Kill him at the first movie. Rolling actually told Alan Rickman who played Severus Snape and Robbie Coltrane who played Hagrid. Not the other Hagrid. Oh, I guess it's confusing isn't it? She actually told them certain secrets about their characters before they were revealed in the books so they could sort of have an idea of what they're playing so that's kind of cool. Look at the secrets she told me. Snape, you know the big Snape twist. She told him that ahead of time. I remember hearing that. Maybe in the research on my Snape episode So we have a whole episode devoted to the life and times of Ellen Rickman.

Ellen Rickman. Oh Lost it Porter no bad. Porter. Oh, there it is Mr. Poster Terrible. it's not terrible. It's pretty good. Fuck it's hot. Daniel Radcliffe who played Harry Potter asked her if Harry died at any point in the series.

Rolling answered him by saying, You have a death scene. They're by not explicitly answering the question. Because Harry does kind of die. He's full of questions. He's follow up question. Is Harry what have sex at all during these books? You have a sex scene. Oh.

You're in the bed, one over in the dorm. It's brutal. It is. Super-or-quite. It's like, they're like runs getting it on. It's like fingers and easy is on. La la la la la la la no. How do you got that? How do you got that?

Apparently, director Steven Spielberg was approached to direct the first film, but he dropped out. The press had repeatedly claimed that Rolling played a role in his departure, but she stated that she had no say in who directed the films and would not have vetoed Spielberg. Because he would have done a fucking great job. Because he's still been fucking Spielberg. He's still been fucking Spielberg. He's still beened Spielberg. Because you would have done a fucking great job. Because he's still been fucking Spielberg. Still been fucking Spielberg. You're always like, He's still been fucking Spielberg.

He's still been fucking Spielberg. Did they far because you just rocked up to run to the set? Yes. I'm Steven Rengler. Oh, I'm so fucking Spielberg. Do you think Kate looks himself in the mirror and then when he goes,

you're Steven fucking Spielberg. It would be a shock when you wake up again. Can you imagine how you introduce him and someone who's like, this is my friend, Steve? It's Steve. It's Steveel Z. Speel Z. Rolling's first choice for the director had been Monty Python member Terry Gilliam, but Warner Brothers wanted a family-friendly film and they chose Chris Columbus. Like he's going to just add like a flying dick or something

in the background as a cartoon. Bada, bada, bada, bada, bada, bada, bada, bada, bada, bada, bada. Rolling against some creative-controller of the films, reviewing all of the scripts as well as acting as a producer on the final two part, installment, Deathly Hallows. Now just a little bit to follow up on her post-potter life, if I may. Yes, what are you doing? She just pottering about? Oh, David's stubborn. Regret it. Regret that you son of a bitch. It's too hot. It's too hot to regret. a lot if I may. Yes, what are you doing? She just pottering about? Oh, David Stubborn.

Regret it. Regret that you son of a bitch. It's too hot. It's too hot to regret. God, what a carefree world we live in now. It's great. It's great. Like, you just have no standards.

I don't give a shit. Don't edit this. Just leave it all in. It's all gold. Hot, hot gold. Meltred gold. In 2004 Forbes named Rolling as the first person to become a US dollar billionaire by writing books. The second richest female entertainer and the 1,060 second richest person in the world.

Open number one. Open number one. Open number one. Open number one is what you're saying. Am I correct? Yeah. Just just just. If we got to put a question mark at the end. I'm also, I remember.

It was just running into one word. Open number one. Like what's that, Maddie? Don't you hot? You can be hot. A little bit. I know. Cooling down with some queen. She actually disputed the calculation and said she had plenty of money but was not a billionaire.

I love her. Yep. The 2016 Sunday Times richest estimated rollings fortune at $600 million, ranking her as the joint 197th richest person in the UK. But back in 2012 Forbes removed rolling from the rich list, claiming that her $160 million in charitable donations and the high tax rate in the UK meant she was no longer a billionaire. That is so embarrassing. That's right, she gave away too much money to charity so that she was no longer a billionaire.

And Forbes criticized it for it. What a dumb bitch. You idiot. It's criticiser, I just took her off the list. No, they wouldn't quit. They're giving away millions of dollars. Look at this idiot. She was a billionaire, but she's not anymore because she had people that aren't billionaires.

A bit of other people around the Forbes office would have been. Or the billionaires around Forbes office, making hundreds of millions of dollars a year yeah yeah you don't there's a million some billions in magazines as we all know they're taking off in on December 26 in 2001 Boxing Day she married Neil Murray who's a Scottish doctor mother in a private ceremony at her home. They had two more children, David Gordon Rolling Murray and Mackenzie Jean Rolling Murray. In 2012, it was announced that Rolling

was set to publish a new book targeted at adults. In a press release, Rolling said that her new book would be quite different from Harry Potter. So that was in the February in April, little Brown and Company announced that the book was titled The Casual Vacancy and would be released in September of that year In its first three weeks of release the casual vacancy sold over one million copies worldwide I've never heard of it. I haven't seen that one. No. Is that a movie as well? No. Oh, sorry I haven't seen that the cover. I think they made a series out of it though. It's all making, made.

Yeah, right. But yeah, it was quite a big deal because it was JK Rowling again. People. I haven't read it. But I think I've heard good things. I think I have. My mum said it was good.

Oh, there you go. Dave's mum. Dave could do it. She's the librarian. Children's librarian. So she loves Harry Potter. Could you read Tartle, please, Dave? We'll catch you all back and see.

The Do Not By the Reading List this if you're expecting Harry Potter. In 2007 during the Edinburgh Book Festival, author Ian Rankin claims that his wife spotted rolling scribbling away at a detective novel in a cafe. He later retracted the story claiming he was joking, but the rumor really persisted with the report in 2012 in the Guardian, speculating that rolling's next book

would be a crime novel. How can you tell a genre from the way someone's here? Exactly, exactly. He's like, I'm kidding. Relax. In April of 2013, unrelated, Little Brown published the Kuku's calling, the debut novel of an author called Robert Gayle-Braith, whom the publisher described as a former planeclothes Royal Military Police investigator who had left in 2003 to work in the civilian security industry. The novel, A Detective Story, which a private investigator, unravels the supposed suicide

of a supermodel, sold 1,500 copies in hardback, which later reports actually stated that this number is a number of copies that were printed in the first run while the sales was actually about 500. It's only sold about 500 copies and received a claim from other crime writers and critics. A publisher weekly review called the book A Steller debut while the library journals Mystery Section pronounce the novel The debut of the month. So they're like this new writer is great. How do a fantastic debut. But didn't convert in a sale. And how many Nestle or Smarties awards? That's a good point, not that many. Adult Smarties.

India Knight, who was a novelist and columnist for the Sunday Times, tweeted on the 9th of July 2013 that she'd been reading the cookies calling, and thought it was good for a debut novel. In response, a Twitter called Jude Collegary said that the author was rolling. Nightqueer did this but got no further reply. So then she gets Richard Brooks, whose art editor of the Sunday Times, who begins his own investigation. After discovering that rolling and gale-brace had the same agent and editor, he sent the books for linguistics analysis, which found similarities and subsequently contacted Rowling's agent who confirmed it was Rowling's pseudonym.

So if you're going to have the whole story then why end up just admitting it's straight away? Yeah, no, but within days of it being revealed that she was the author, sales of the book rose by 4,000%. Okay, I think that's possibly part of the reason. Yeah, they went, all right, we have lost a lot of money on this book, J.K. Possibly, you could admit that it's you.

Yeah. She wanted to see, well, and she's, maybe she wanted to find out what people thought. Yeah, that's right. I think that that could be a big part of it, because you get an honest review. Yeah. People saying, this is great.

This is a great crime book. Exactly. That's what you want to write. And that's what happened. And they had to print another 140,000 copies to meet the demand. And, well, Jitter, I think you had them in the what happened. And they had to print another 140,000 copies to meet the demand. And, Bullshit, I reckon she had them in the back shed

and she was looking at him going, this is too many. She said she really enjoyed working under a pseudonym on the website, her website for Robert Gaylebrace. She explained that she took the name from one of her personal heroes, Robert Kennedy, and a childhood fantasy name she'd invented for herself, Ella Gayle, Gal-Braith.

Gal-Braith. Soon after the revelation, Brooks pondered whether Jude Caligari could have been rolling as part of a wider speculation that the entire affair had been a publicity stunt. Some also noted that many of the writers who would initially praise the book were within her circle of acquaintances. But all of those people said we didn't know. Right.

That's interesting, that they're saying that the tweet came from JK. It's like, why not from someone else that they're like publishing house? Yeah, her agent. Like literally anyone. Anyone that has a stake in the book. As it turns out, Judith or Jude, Caligari,

was the best friend of the wife of Chris Gossage, who was a partner within Russell's solicage, who was a partner within Russell's solicitors, who was Rowling's legal representative. So somebody went home to his wife, said, oh, she was, and then she told her best friend, who then fucking tweeted it. Don't tell Jude anything. But do you think JK wasn't, so she wasn't in on it? Hi, she wasn't in on it.

They ended up like, um they were slips jade. She she was mad at um at the uh her legal representative and they had to apologize and uh make like a donation to charity. To Coca Cola. To Coca Cola. I will even stop. So a few other things that she's done um she like she was a single parent for a long time to her daughter Jessica, and she's now president of the charity Gingerbread, which is originally one parent families, having become their first ambassador in 2000. She's now the president. In 2005, rolling at MEP Emma Nicholson founded the Children's High Level Group, which is now called Lumos, to further support the group, rolling auctioned one of seven handwritten and illustrated copies of the tales of Beedle

and the Bard, a series of fairy tales referred to in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hullos. The book was purchased for £1.95m by an online book seller. What the hell? Just bought by Amazon, becoming the most expensive modern book ever sold at auction. That's fantastic. That's ridiculous. Great for charity, but that's an extremely annoying. I see a donation and a bit of publicity for Amazon, I guess.

Yeah. Here's one thing I like as well. Rolling is contributed money and support for research and treatment of multiple sclerosis because her mother obviously suffered for a long time before her death. The big MS thing over here is the rate of thumb, probably internationally. Yeah. So they were one else a kid and it's rate of thumbs with big time. And in 2006 she contributed a substantial sum towards the creation of the new centre for regenerative medicine at Edinburgh University which was later named the Anne Rowling Regindive Neurologic Clinic after her mum, which is really nice. And to finish

up I have a couple of fun facts. There's just for four of you finish this, the only other books that I knew I didn't know about all these at the time, I just found really cool. But what did I not, do I not remember recently there was something about a suitcase of unknown creatures or something? Fantastic beasts in a Way to Find them. Yes. Is that her? No.

Literally that's to talk about it. It's the same. Yeah. So, in September of 2013, one brother announced an expanded creative partnership with Rolling based on a planned series of films for Fantastic Beasts and Way to Find them. So the first film, which was scripted by Roland, was released in November of 2016, so last year, and set roughly 70 years before the event

of the main Harry Potter series. And there's gonna be another, like, the series is gonna consist of five films. There's another four films, one's coming out next year. How did it go? I think pretty well, I haven't seen it. But I think it did well.

Oh. It just seemed like it wasn't a phenomena. Yeah, I think the Harry Potter hype has sort of calmed down a bit by now. Right. People still line up to, to when she released their play, the text. Yeah, it's true.

People lined up to buy it. The cursed child. Is that the one? Yeah. Although she writes some of the pent-name JK rolling her name before her remarriage was just Joanne rolling. She doesn't have a middle name. But anticipating that the target audience of young boys

might not want to read a book written by a woman, her publishers asked her that she used two initials rather than her full name. And she had no middle name, so she chose K for Kathleen from her grandmother. So yeah that's my report on JK Rowling. Great staff Jessica Perkins. Thank you David Warnocky.

I've just looked up fantastic piece and where to find them at grossed $800 million so it did very well. That's cute isn't it? That is a cute amount but that would be nothing on the others, but still very good nothing on us. We're making easily that per episode 800 million We would like to contribute to our 800 million dollar fund head over to patreon.com slash do go on and We would now like to thank everyone that supports choke is through patreon because it actually keeps this little pod ticking

along and we'd like to specifically thank some people by name. That's contribute to our Patreon. Matt, would you like to thank a couple of people? I would, I'd love to thank everyone to be honest, but if you want me to drill down even more specifically than that, I'd love to thank everyone. And Dave's going to give them a Harry Potter title for Americans. Oh, great. Okay. Perfect.

All right, that's awesome. I think from memory, this is the first Lebanon listener patreon that I've thanked. Rani Tabri. In Lebanon. In Lebanon. Isn't that cool? So Rani Tabri and the magic cat.

Wow. Often confused with the sequel, the magic hat. Rani Tabri and the magic hat. Yeah, so there's the magic hat. Was it just the two or there a trilogy there? There's a plan trilogy. Okay, but they haven't got there yet. Do you know any sort of insight in what the third? The very magic cat. There's some options there. There were magic mat. There's, you know, there's, No, no, it goes, Magic spot.

Ready tovery in the magic hat. Ranny tovery. Right. Ranny tovery in the magic hat. Many, tovery in the magic hat. And then Ranny tovery in the very magic cat. Look, they're not very good at marketing in Lebanon. Okay. So these are for America.

Yeah, well they're marketing from Lebanon to the North. I think Americans want. Thanks so much, Ronnie. That's so cool. That's so cool for us that, yeah, it's lovely. Thank you. That's tuning in from Lebanon. That is real bloody cool. I'd also love to thank from Williamsburg, Virginia. Oh, Virginia's a place that seems to come into stories on this show relatively frequently. I'd love to thank Tyler Reeves, who's got a real superhero.

I can picture him as a quarterback for sure. Tyler Reeves. Definitely. He's got a great arm on him, American. Tyler Reeves and the small donut. I mean they're not. I mean what's the story about it and it's an in a magical world? Yeah, it's a fucking magic donut.

Can I go now? But the donuts are small. Magic donut. I mean the magic in it's big but physically it's a small donut. Do you want to go down the map? I mean the force of its big but physically it's a small donut. Do you want to go to a map? I mean the force of a stone wasn't huge was it? No you could carry it. And you put it in a small paper bag like a donut. We don't know that the force of a stone was a donut. It goes well with coffee like a donut. Two for one special. That's laughing. It would definitely lost their minds.

Can I go? It was another good time. But thank you so much to Tyler in Virginia. Tyler and Rani. Let me go. You can go, but there's no way you're going to do better than Tyler and Rani. I would like to thank, from Castle Hill in New South Wales,

Ben Campbell. Oh. Ben Campbell and the. Captains chair. That's pretty good. That's pretty good. I mean he lives in Castle Hill and you found no inspiration there. Captain of the castle. Yeah. Every castle needs a captain. And every castle needs a chair. Yeah every castle needs a captain every castle needs a captain and every castle needs a chair Yeah, what else are you gonna do stand all the time? Look I feel quite foolish good. I hope you let you bloody listen. I would read that book

Thank you very much to Ben and He's in Castle Hill news south Wales cut Castle Hill you so I would also like to thank from you know in Victoria You know is that you probably been you've been a lot of country stuff. I'm not familiar with Yuna. I'm not familiar either, but that does not stop me from thanking our good friend Matt Dennis. Mattie Dee. Good on you Matt.

And the... Matt Dennis and the Butterfly Kisses. Oh that's fucking cute. Is that the eyelash thing? Yeah. We'll keep someone with your eyelash. I love a butterfly kiss. Give me one. I'm too sweaty. Don't go to the spot. I'm not now. I'm hosting. Please touch the moon. Well I'd like to think, alright how about you guys get one each year. Okay. Jess you can do this first one. This person's also from Richmond in Virginia. Okay. Jess, you can do this first one.

This person's also from Richmond in Virginia. Ooh. This Richmond's around the world, but that's amazing. Virginia is a real hotspot bus. So that's something I have to do a lot of show in Virginia. So Tyler was from Williamsburg, Virginia, and I looked it up.

Richmond Virginia is only 50 miles away. They could be friends. It's like, ooh. They should be pentals. Kara Michael. Kara Michael from Richmond, Richmond Virginia. Thank you so much. Kara Michael and the...

Wooden... Clock. Karamakal from Richmond, Richmond, Virginia. Thank you so much. Karamakal and the wooden... clock. Ooh, sounds magical. That does, Emma. I've got questions. Is it all wooden, like in the mechanical parts wooden? Yeah, it's all. That sounds great. I'd read that book too. I just looked up, you know, it's in GipSlan. It's near my well,

Praugan, Maui, the Hazelwood Power Plant, that kind of area. Awesome. I want some winter, the Hazelwood Power Plant on its open day. Got a little show bag. It included a piece of coal. Are you kidding? I have photos there wearing a hard hat as a little kid. I think we don't have any radio, like nuclear power plants.

There's an open air. We went as a family. I think I we don't have any radio like nuclear power Oh, no, we went as a family What is a family we were obviously not very wealthy I know the F1A doesn't do stuff like that as well No, my parents took me to Disneyland Yeah exactly You're going to Disneyland I went to the Gipsland to go to a cold factory How many got a piece of call.

There you go, sport. Have fun with your new toy. Mom, am I going to get a Christmas present? No, that's it, man. That is your Christmas present. And who else we got? Finally, from Adelaide, a place that Matt is going to be hitting up early next year for the fringe festival.

Yes. I would like to thank Cass Edwards. Thank you, Cass. Cass Edwards, Matt, this is you, Cass Edwards and the... Cass Edwards and the Frog of Fire. The Frog of Fire. Oh man, that was pretty close to a real Harry Potter. To be honest, I don't think they'll get it. I don't think they'll get it.

All right, how would you... Is a frog on fire? I'm fired. Oh, fire, no, it's from fire. Oh, I got that. It was... It should be frog from fire, that's nice. It was forged in the depths of hell.

Cass Edwards and... It's an evil frog. Cass Edwards and the hot toad. The hot toadie. The hot toadie, toadie. That's it. We've just sold a million copies in America, guys. That's it.

Well done. Thank you so much, Cass Edwards. I hope someone draws all those covers up. Dave, I hope that person is you. So I did all the Harry Potter covers within you titles. That would be pretty cool. It's putting out there. We're making requests now for fan art that we want.

If you could also draw me as a bodybuilder, but only send it to me. That's just for Tinder profile. Tinder profile and a bit of self-confidence. It's so hot. It is so hot guys. If you'd like to contribute to our Patreon, how about we make a Patreon goal where we buy a fucking egg. Oh, that'd be nice. Stop complaining. That would be so good. That'd be great. But thanks again for listening, and of course to the man, Rowan Epstein, one of our faithful Patreon people

for suggesting Harry Potter. If you want to suggest a topic, just like he did, do go on pod at gmail.com, always open, and do go on, or at do go on, put us, at do go on pod, I should say for Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. We're all, yeah, follow us on those. We try to post stuff on there regularly. I think we're going to try and streamline the hats so it's just going to be like a form online somewhere.

We'll post that somewhere soon and probably update you on that maybe next week. Yeah, that's coming soon. It's going to be good for everyone. Especially me, who I'm sure I miss people's suggestions which makes me feel incomplete. Good. We'll never recover. The pods ruined. Get out. Well, we've got to go Chastise Mountain a bit more about this bit. Until next week, thanks for listening and I will say goodbye! Bye! Bye!

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