J.K. Rowling writing adult novel

Harry Potter author changes publishers for new work

CBC News

Posted: Feb 23, 2012 12:48 PM ET

Last Updated: Feb 23, 2012 12:46 PM ET

British author J.K. Rowling, shown in July 2011, is to write an adult novel. (Joel Ryan/Associated Press)

J.K. Rowling has announced her next novel will be something “very different” from the Harry Potter series – a work for adults.

There is as yet no title, release date or details of Rowling’s next work, but on Thursday she announced a deal with publisher Little, Brown to publish the book in the U.S. and Britain.

That’s the same publisher who handled Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series and a change from Harry Potter publisher Bloomsbury.

"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 said in a statement released Thursday.

"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.”

Potter fans now adults

The Harry Potter books broke sales records, but the last one was released in 2007.

There are so many adult fans of the books about the boy wizard, Rowling is bound to have a following for this first adult novel. In addition, many of the young readers who are Potter fans are now young adults.

It will be available in both print and electronic formats. The author held out for years on allowing the Potter books to come out digitally, but announced in 2011 that Potter e-books would be sold through her own Pottermore website.

In the meantime, Bloomsbury plans to publish illustrated editions of all seven Harry Potter books beginning in 2013, as well as partnering on the e-book editions.

With files from The Associated Press

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