In bittersweet news for Harry Potter fans, novelist Jk Rowling has announced she is writing her first novel aimed at adults, which she describes as being "very different" from the multi-million selling books she is best known for.
According to Bbc News, the new novel will be published worldwide, though no date or title has been released. Announcing the new project, Rowling said, "The freedom to explore new territory is a gift that Harry's success has brought me.Although I've enjoyed writing it every bit as much, my next book will be very different to the Harry Potter series, which has been published so brilliantly by Bloomsbury and my other publishers around the world". Rowling published seven Potter books in total, which have sold more than 450 million copies worldwide. The boy wizard became a worldwide phenomenon, and he was played by British star Daniel Radcliffe in seven equally successful movies. All the Potter books were published by Bloomsbury, though interestingly Rowling has chosen a new publisher for her debut into adult fiction. She'll join Little, Brown, the home of Stephanie Meyer, whose Twilight novels boasts similarly impressive sales figures to the Potter books. Speaking of her new publisher, Rowling said, "I am delighted to have a second publishing home in Little, Brown, and a publishing team that will be a great partner in this new phase of my writing life". David Shelley of Little, Brown, said the company were "thrilled, honoured and proud" to be publishing someone of Rowling's stature.
No word yet on when the new book will hit shelves, but Rowling will no doubt be expecting a flurry of interest in the novelist's first post-Potter book.