document_title: List of Gavin & Stacey characters

question_text: who played pam shipman in gavin and stacey

text: List of Gavin & Stacey characters

text: Characters[edit]

text:
Actor/Actress

Character

First Appearance

Last Appearance

Duration

Total

Mathew Horne

Gavin Shipman

13 May 2007

1 January 2010

2007–2010

20

Joanna Page

Stacey Shipman

13 May 2007

1 January 2010

2007–2010

20

James Corden

Neil "Smithy" Smith

13 May 2007

1 January 2010

2007–2010

20

Ruth Jones

Nessa Jenkins

13 May 2007

1 January 2010

2007–2010

20

Rob Brydon

Bryn West

13 May 2007

1 January 2010

2007–2010

20

Larry Lamb

Mick Shipman

13 May 2007

1 January 2010

2007–2010

20

Alison Steadman

Pam Shipman

13 May 2007

1 January 2010

2007–2010

20

Melanie Walters

Gwen West

13 May 2007

1 January 2010

2007–2010

20

Steffan Rhodri

Dave Coaches

13 May 2007

1 January 2010

2007–2010

11

Margaret John

Doris O'Neill

13 May 2007

1 January 2010

2007–2010

8

Adrian Scarborough

Pete Sutcliffe

13 May 2007

17 December 2009

2007–2009

7

Julia Davis

Dawn Sutcliffe

13 May 2007

17 December 2009

2007–2009

7

Sheridan Smith

Ruth "Rudi" Smith

16 March 2008

1 January 2010

2008–2010

7

Robert Wilfort

Jason West

3 June 2007

1 January 2010

2007–2010

6

Mathew Baynton

Deano

11 November 2008

10 December 2009

2008–2009

4

Russell Tovey

Budgie

3 June 2007

10 December 2009

2007–2009

4

Andrew Knott

Dirtbox

3 June 2007

10 December 2009

2007–2009

4

Samuel Anderson

Fingers

3 June 2007

10 December 2009

2007–2009

3

Ifan Huw Dafydd

Neil Jenkins

26 November 2009

1 January 2010

2009–2010

3

Pam Ferris

Cath Smith

26 November 2009

17 December 2009

2009

2

text: Main characters[edit]

text:
Gavin Shipman (Mathew Horne) - Gavin is 28 when the series starts. He is an only child, and when the series starts he still lives with his loving mother and father in Billericay, Essex. He works for a company called ICB and spends his spare time with his best friend Smithy (James Corden) along with his other friends Gary & Simon, Dirtbox, Fingers, Budgie, Swede, Chinese Alan and Jesus. He is a big fan of Tottenham Hotspur (as is Mathew Horne) and is often seen wearing his Spurs shirt. In the course of his job, he had to deal with a company called Bedmores, based in Barry. The Bedmores representative he had to correspond with was a woman called Stacey West (Joanna Page). The pair found they got on very well and after months of talking and flirting, they decided to meet in London. They agreed that Gavin would bring his best friend Smithy, and Stacey would bring her best friend Nessa (Ruth Jones). They met up, went clubbing and had sex. When Stacey and Nessa boarded the coach back to Wales, Gavin took a taxi home, jumped in his car and drove all the way to Barry, and met Stacey when her coach arrived in Barry. The two quickly told each other they were in love, and within 9 weeks, they had got engaged and married. Gavin, and his father Mick (Larry Lamb), often play the "straight men" in the series, baffled and frustated by the antics of their family and friends. Gavin's main personality flaw is that he is slightly spoiled, possibly due to being an only child, and gets irritated when he does not get his way. He is not always very sensitive; when Stacey, who is very attached to her hometown, gets depressed and homesick upon moving to Billericay, Gavin is more confused than concerned. Gavin is also less willing to discuss his private life than his wife. He finds it odd that Stacey is so eager and ready to spill intimate details to Nessa, Bryn, her mother and her brother. Despite these differences, Gavin loves Stacey enormously, demonstrating this by finding a job in Wales so he can move to Barry, despite previously expressing a dislike for it. In Series 3, he agrees with Stacey to try to have a baby, only to discover she had not been on the pill for a year. Although he is very angry about Stacey not telling him the truth, he becomes much more depressed when he learns that he has fertility problems. Eventually he comes round, and has a serious discussion with Stacey, deciding they will carry on trying to conceive for a few months, and they should start looking at alternatives afterwards. However, in the final episode, Stacey discovers she is pregnant, and Gavin is just as thrilled as she is.
Stacey Shipman (née West) (Joanna Page) - Stacey is 26 and is from Barry, near Cardiff. Her father, Trevor, died three years ago, and she lived at home with her mother in Barry until her marriage. Her gay brother, Jason (Robert Wilfort), lives in Spain. She had been engaged five times before meeting Gavin Shipman (Mathew Horne), something she preferred to forget and kept from him. She is very bubbly, excitable and full of conversation but also slightly fragile and prone to overreacting. An example is her misreading Gavin's sudden businesslike tone during a call from work when his boss appears over him, immediately thinking he is trying to break up. Gavin then  has to drive all the way to Barry to patch things up. She confides frequently in her best friend, Nessa (Ruth Jones). Stacey has never been away from Barry Island before she visits Gavin, and becomes very homesick when she marries him and moves to Essex. After a few months of finding no work, she tells Gavin she can no longer live in Essex and will be moving back home. During the course of their separation, Stacey decides their selfishness about where they live means they are nit meant to be together and is on the verge of giving her wedding ring back when Nessa goes into labour. After Nessa gives birth, they make up and resolve to find a way for both of them to be happy. A few months later, Gavin decides to get a job in Cardiff so he can move to Barry Island to keep Stacey happy. Stacey discovers she is pregnant in the final episode of Series 3, after desperately taking a large number of pregnancy tests.
Neil "Smithy" Smith (James Corden) - Smithy is 28 and Gavin's (Mathew Horne) best friend, and they've known each other since primary school. He is a self-employed builder and decorator. He is very protective of Gavin - he is disappointed when Gavin gets engaged to Stacey (Joanna Page) and when Gavin and Stacey go on a honeymoon, he calls Gavin every day for the 3 weeks they are there, and gets angry at Gavin for leaving his phone off. He loves Gavin's parents more than his own, and has an unseen girlfriend called Lucy, who, according to Smithy, is seventeen years and three quarters old. He loves unusual beer, paintball and West Ham United. When Nessa (Ruth Jones) gives birth to their son, they name him Neil after himself and Nessa's father. In the series finale, Smithy stops Nessa's wedding declaring his feelings for her, thus causing Nessa and Dave (Steffan Rhodri) not to get married. He is shown to have obvious similarities to Nessa, such as: refusing to share food, being very upfront, protective of their best friends, and they like most of the same food and drink, such as KFC, corn on the cob, and Irn-Bru. Smithy wears his heart on his sleeve and is given to intense public displays of emotion, and will cry or sulk with little provocation. Smithy eats, drinks and smokes to excess and is overweight.
Vanessa Shanessa "Nessa" Jenkins (Ruth Jones) - Nessa is Stacey's (Joanna Page) best friend, also from Barry. She discovers she is pregnant in the fourth episode of Series 1 and it is later revealed that Smithy (James Corden) became the father the second time they were intimate at Pam (Alison Steadman) and Mick's (Larry Lamb) house. She speaks fluent Italian and Welsh, has several tattoos, most notably a large red dragon on her right upper arm. She is a chain smoker (except during her pregnancy) and was one of the original members of All Saints (but didn't get along with Shaznay). She works at the Barry Island Amusement Arcades or "The Slots". Nessa regularly recalls strange and often lewd experiences with celebrities. She gives birth to baby Neil in the series finale of Series 2 and becomes engaged to Dave Coaches (Steffan Rhodri) in the 2008 Christmas special. In the series finale, Smithy declares his feelings for Nessa at her wedding, and Dave accepts that the feelings he and Nessa share are not as strong as hers and Smithy's. Nessa's age is unknown throughout the show even to Stacey. To date she has slept with Gavin's (Mathew Horne) best friend Smithy four times. Her catchphrases include "Ohhhh", "Tidy", "Genuine",  "Truth be told", "Immense", "I'm not going to lie to you" and "What's occurring?". In the third series, it was discovered that she is an Aston Villa fan. She has a jet black bob-style hair and wears Gothic style make up. She is serious, ongoing and surprisingly intelligent at times. She has had a number of interesting occupations including being a BBC radio producer, a roadie for a major band, and driving trucks for Eddie Stobart (who gave her two trucks to keep when she left,) and a running feature of the programme is her wide range of impressive occupations, abilities (apart from speaking fluent Italian she is an excellent ten pin bowler) and acquaintance or relationships with various famous people. The reaction of those around her to mention of these invariably suggests that they are factual rather than a fantasy, despite the rather incongruous fact that she now works as a cashier at an amusement arcade in Barry.
Michael "Mick" Shipman (Larry Lamb) - Mick is Gavin's (Mathew Horne) father. He is often mistaken to be 53 and is a down-to-earth bloke, like his son. He's happy with his life — running his own company, playing golf and going to the pub quiz every Tuesday. He is something of a calming influence on his wife, Pam (Alison Steadman).
Pamela Andrea "Pam" Shipman (née Griggell-Eschefska) (Alison Steadman) — Pam is Gavin's (Mathew Horne) proud and doting mother. She is in her fifties, though her exact age is unknown as, according to her husband, she has claimed to be 51 on her past five birthdays. She is a stereotypical Essex wife and is very house-proud. She is also very caring of Smithy (James Corden), Gavin's best friend, and treats him as if he were her own son. Pam adores Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (referring to Princess Diana as a "hussy") and acts out sexual fantasies of Charles and Camilla with her husband, Mick (Larry Lamb). She dotes on Gavin, who she calls her "Little Prince". She is very welcoming of Stacey (Joanna Page) into the family - the first time Stacey meets her, she helps her with a pimple on her face, in a motherly fashion, which allows the two to bond. Although she is initially angry at Stacey when Gavin announces they're moving back to Barry, accusing Stacey of 'stealing' her son, she apologises the next morning for overreacting. Pam is prone to malapropisms, such as saying "ours is not to question while" (instead of "why") or "Barry's Island" instead of "Barry Island".  She is often nervous and excitable and this leads her into awkward social situations, such as forcing Mick to go food shopping in response to an attack of paranoia about her guests' dietary requirements, and then falsely claiming to be newly vegetarian (a pretence she is forced to maintain, much to her frustration because she craves meat) in order to explain why he has arrived with several bags of vegetarian food.  Her catchphrases include "Oh My Christ", "I panicked (name)" and "Mick! Michael!"
Brynfor "Bryn" West (Rob Brydon) - Bryn is Stacey (Joanna Page) and Jason's (Robert Wilfort) uncle. He is the brother of Stacey's deceased father, Trevor and is a single man in his late forties. He lives across the road from Stacey and his sister-in-law, Gwen (Melanie Walters) and is very protective of them. In Series 1 and 2, he had a strained relationship with his nephew Jason due to an unspecified but clearly disturbing incident on a fishing trip. He leads a very simple life and often gets excited about trivial things such as his Sat Nav or the Internet. He also enjoys typically female-oriented TV shows such as Desperate Housewives and Sex and the City. He is a keen singer and sings with Stacey's best friend, Nessa (Ruth Jones). In Series 2, he puts a home gym in his house that is "the talk of the street". Bryn also displays latent homosexual tendencies but is seemingly too innocent and childlike to address them. For instance, Bryn converted one of the bedrooms in his home into a gym and invites Smithy (James Corden) over where they strip shirtless and have a close workout followed by a "warm down" that involves rubbing each other. Smithy does not see this as a sexual thing at all, even though it makes Gavin (Mathew Horne) uncomfortable. It has been implied a number of times that Bryn was abused by his brother Trevor as a child, such as Trevor leaving him terrified on a ghost train or hanging him by his ankles and swinging him against rocks, resulting in two broken arms. He claims he "rather enjoyed the experience" as it was only "tomfoolery" but it shocks everyone and horrifies Pam (Alison Steadman).
Gwen West (Melanie Walters) - Gwen is Stacey (Joanna Page) and Jason's (Robert Wilfort) mother. She is a widow in her late forties and has two children, Jason and Stacey. She is a housewife and regularly offers to cook omelettes. She's a caring, kind woman who lets herself be taken advantage of by Stacey's best friend, Nessa (Ruth Jones). She's very close to Stacey as they spent many years living together. In Series 3, she lives with Stacey and her husband Gavin (Mathew Horne). On the day of Nessa's wedding, Nessa told Gwen that she was like a mother to her before kissing her on the lips, which gobsmacks Gwen but does not affect Nessa.

text: Other characters[edit]

text:
David "Dave Coaches" Lloyd Gooch (Steffan Rhodri) - Coach driver in Barry and Nessa's (Ruth Jones) fiancé, after they got engaged in the Christmas special. Aspersions are cast regarding his sexual health in Series 1, although it is revealed in Series 2 that he has been to "the clinic". He is the only person, other than Bryn (Rob Brydon) and Jason (Robert Wilfort), who knows what happened on the fishing trip, after Bryn told him to get the matter off his chest. His relationship with Nessa results in both Bryn and Jason being incredibly nervous about him telling their friends what happened, although he makes it very clear to Bryn he wouldn't tell anyone about it. He also has his own company named Dave Coaches. He often shows jealousy towards Smithy (James Corden) for being the father of Nessa's child. Smithy gets jealous of him for always spending time with his son and treating him like his own, and in the final episode leaves Nessa at the altar as he doesn't believe she loves him. Nessa's father mentions him having "blood on his hands", but says he was joking, knowing that "nothing was proven". Dave often has a strained relationship with the other characters, and has publicly had angry exchanges with Bryn, Smithy and Pete (Adrian Scarborough), who punched him in the face after he made an uncharitable remark about his wife, Dawn (Julia Davis).
Jason West (Robert Wilfort) - Stacey's (Joanna Page) elder brother, son of Gwen (Melanie Walters) and her late husband, Trevor. Lives in Spain with his boyfriend, José. He and Bryn (Rob Brydon) share a rather awkward relationship due to some mysterious goings-on on the fateful fishing trip. Although the events of the fishing trip are never explicitly revealed, it is strongly implied that there was a close and intimate encounter between Jason and Bryn. When they attempt to explain to Dave the reason for what they did that night, Bryn says "It was freezing cold...and when you're that cold you-" before being cut off by Gavin entering the room. He is disappointed in the first series when Gavin (Mathew Horne) and Stacey get married and he is not chosen to take Stacey down the aisle. He and Bryn eventually become friends again, something they are both glad about.
Peter "Pete" Sutcliffe (Adrian Scarborough) and Dawn Sutcliffe (Julia Davis) - Friends of Pam (Alison Steadman) and Mick's (Larry Lamb). They have a very strained marriage and regularly insult each other in public. Also part of the ongoing joke that characters share their surnames with serial killers — in this case Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper. He punches Dave in the Christmas special. He also attempts a threesome in the beginning of Series 2 with his wife Dawn and a man named Seth. It didn't work out as Seth said the photo was not representative of them as a couple. The couple renewed their vows in Series 3. They have two children, Fiona and Alex. In the series finale of Series 1, their surname is revealed to be Whitely, but in the 2008 Christmas Special, it is revealed to be Sutcliffe.
Catherina "Cath" Smith (Pam Ferris) - Smithy (James Corden) and Rudi's (Sheridan Smith) mother who first appears in the first episode of Series 3. She is rumoured to have had a lesbian relationship with the headteacher of Gavin (Mathew Horne) and Smithy's primary school. She claims to suffer from narcolepsy, though Pam (Alison Steadman) attributes this to her excessive drinking. She attends single mother support groups and has been known to perform lewd acts on webcam, having once accidentally exposed herself to Nessa (Ruth Jones) thinking she was a man named John.
Doris "Dor" O'Neill (Margaret John) - Gwen's (Melanie Walters) elderly next door neighbour. She looks like a stereotypical "little old lady", in sharp contrast to her behaviour and blunt, profanity-littered conversational style. Doris regularly dates younger men, even offering herself up to Gavin (Mathew Horne) for "discreet" extramarital relations, and is described by Bryn (Rob Brydon) as "a player". She has a daughter named Moira, whom she loathes and would like to "smother" if she saw her again. Gwen even goes so far as to say "she was a nasty piece of work". It is Doris who spots the unfortunate coincidence of Gavin and Stacey (Joanna Page) sharing the West and Shipman surnames with serial murderers Fred and Rose West and Harold Shipman.
Ruth "Rudi" Smith (Sheridan Smith) - Smithy's (James Corden) sister, also likes to be called "Smithy" in an attempt to imitate her brother, with whom she often fights.
Neil Noel Edmund Smith aka Neil, the Baby - The son of Smithy (James Corden) and Nessa (Ruth Jones), named after both Smithy and Nessa's father. His middle names come from Smithy's uncle Edmund and Nessa's friend Noel from Hear'Say.
Neil Jenkins (Ifan Huw Dafydd)[1][2]- Nessa's (Ruth Jones) father; appears at the Christening but is obviously uncomfortable at being back in Barry due to unknown previous events. He is a part-time actor who has appeared as an extra in Lark Rise to Candleford and as a man in a coma in Holby City.
Dick Powell (Gwynfor Roberts) The only exclusively Welsh-speaking inhabitant of Barry. Sells items on the black market such as satellite navigation systems and meat that his brother steals from the slaughterhouse where he works. He enjoys chicken and Glamorgan sausage sandwiches.
Deano (Mathew Baynton) is a friend of Gavin (Mathew Horne) and Smithy's (James Corden). He works with Smithy and is known for being gormless and somewhat naïve. He learnt Welsh prior to coming over to Wales with the "Essex Lads".  He wasn't at Gavin's stag, but got a T-shirt made afterwards when they went to the foam party.  Among his idiosyncrasies is a fondness for drinking a mixture of equal parts tea and coffee, which he calls a "toffee" or a "cea" (pronounced "key").
Owain Hughes (Steven Meo) - one of Gavin's (Mathew Horne) co-workers at his new job in Cardiff in Series 3. Constantly the subject of an unclear joke - "My name is Owain Hughes and before you ask, no I don't!".

text: Gavin and Smithy's Friends[edit]

text:
Budgie (Russell Tovey) - A friend of Gavin (Mathew Horne) and Smithy's (James Corden). He is nicknamed as such because he has big ears. He has a brother called Magpie, who works as a DJ.
Chinese Alan (Dominic Gaskell) - A friend of Gavin (Mathew Horne) and Smithy's (James Corden). His catchphrase is "Did someone order a Chinese?"
Fingers (Samuel Anderson) - A friend of Gavin (Mathew Horne) and Smithy's (James Corden). He is so named because of his womanizing attitude. He has an on-off relationship with Stacey's (Joanna Page) friend, Louise.
Dirtbox (Andrew Knott) - A friend of Gavin (Mathew Horne) and Smithy's (James Corden). He seems to be somewhat short tempered and snappy.
Jesus (Daniel Curtis) - A friend of Gavin (Mathew Horne) and Smithy's (James Corden). He only appears in the stag episode; most likely owing to the fact that no one in the group really seems to like him.
Swede - (John Grisley) A friend of Gavin (Mathew Horne) and Smithy's (James Corden). He rarely says anything.
Gary (Jason Gregg) - A friend of Gavin (Mathew Horne) and Smithy's (James Corden). He has been friends with them since primary school. He is never seen without his best friend Simon; except for in Series 3, where it appears they have had an argument.
'N' Simon - A friend of Gavin (Mathew Horne) and Smithy's (James Corden). He has been friends with them since primary school. He is never seen without his best friend Gary (Jason Gregg); but he does not appear in Series 3, as it appears he has had an argument with Gary.
Luggy - A friend of Gavin (Mathew Horne) and Smithy's (James Corden). He has glasses and is quite tall. He is relatively quiet when compared to the rest of Gavin's friends as he is often seen in the background of the conversation and has no dialogue. He is not seen in Series 3 for unknown reasons.

text: Minor and unseen characters[edit]

text:
Japanese Margaret - A friend of Pam (Alison Steadman) and Dawn's (Julia Davis) whose name came up during the protest over the telephone mast.
No Man Jan - A friend of Pam's (Alison Steadman) who told her about the rumour of Cath's (Pam Ferris) lesbian relationship with Smithy (James Corden) and Gavin's (Mathew Horne) headmistress. Mick (Larry Lamb) claims she can't be trusted - "that's why she's been divorced three times".
Big Fat Sue - Pam's (Alison Steadman) overweight friend. Pam calls her "Susan" to her face; however, other characters such as Dawn (Julia Davis) directly address her as "Big Fat Sue".
Fat No More Pat - Pam's (Alison Steadman) friend from her Fencing class. She was mentioned when Pam asked Stacey (Joanna Page) if she would like to come along in Pat's absence.
Seth - Swinger who responded to Dawn (Julia Davis) and Pete's (Adrian Scarborough) request for a threesome partner, he denied because the picture of Dawn and Pete was 15 years old.
Nigel Havers - Actor, Nessa's (Ruth Jones) ex-boyfriend
Tom Jones - Singer, Nessa's (Ruth Jones) ex-boyfriend
John Prescott - Politician, Nessa's (Ruth Jones) ex-boyfriend
Noel Sullivan - Singer, Nessa's (Ruth Jones) close friend. Nessa's son, Neil's middle name is after him.
Griff (Alan David) - Bryn (Rob Brydon) and Doris' (Margaret John) friend. He attended Gavin (Mathew Horne) and Stacey's (Joanna Page) wedding with Doris in Series 1.
Father Chris (William Thomas) - A vicar in Barry.
José - Jason's (Robert Wilfort) boyfriend, who attends Gavin (Mathew Horne) and Stacey's (Joanna Page) wedding.
Edna Sutcliffe (Edna Doré) - Pete's (Adrian Scarborough) mother, only seen once in the Christmas Special, where Pete forgot her and she stayed behind the bar over night
Betty (Hazel Douglas) - A neighbour of Pam (Alison Steadman) and Mick's (Larry Lamb). She is only seen talking to Pam about Mick's short stint on a news broadcast.
Scott - One of Doris' (Margaret John) much younger boyfriends, whom she casually describes as "a bit of a pothead".
Natalie Lewis - Sales assistant whose brother and father once had a fight with Nessa (Ruth Jones)
Lucy - Smithy's (James Corden) much younger girlfriend, who is still in secondary school. She is never seen on-screen, and dumps Smithy in Series 2 when he discovers that she has been seeing somebody else. In a running joke meant to illustrate the age gap between her and Smithy, she is often mentioned to be doing activities that would normally be associated with younger people (such as Brownies or trampolining).
Jean - A character who Bryn (Rob Brydon) invites to Gwen's birthday party, due to guests he'd already invited saying they can't attend. Jean is hated to Gwen however for reasons that weren't really mentioned. Doris (Margaret John) warns Bryn not to invite her and does not like her. Jean is not seen on screen, however Gwen sees her and it is unknown what happened next.
Glenda - In series 3 episode 5, Glenda gets in contact with Bryn (Rob Brydon), Doris (Margaret John) and Gwen (Melanie Walters) almost immediately after Pam (Alison Steadman) and Mick (Larry Lamb) arrive outside Gwen's house all via different forms of contact. It is not mentioned where Glenda lives, though she is within hearing range as she heard that Pam and Mick were going to the beach, nor is she ever mentioned again.


document_title: A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo

question_text: a day in the life of marlon bundo audiobook cast

root

text: A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo

text: Concept[edit]

text: A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo was conceptualized as a loose parody of Marlon Bundo's A Day in the Life of the Vice President, a children's book written by Mike Pence's daughter Charlotte Pence and illustrated by his wife Karen Pence. Their book also tells about a fictionalized day of the Pence family's pet rabbit, but without the LGBT themes of A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo.[1]

tag: p

text: On March 18, 2018, the publication of both books was used as a comedy piece on Last Week Tonight to raise awareness of Mike Pence's stated anti-LGBT attitudes. John Oliver stated that Pence's pet rabbit was the one thing he liked about Pence, and that because of this, he had taken issue with the real-life Marlon Bundo having to make a stop at the anti-LGBT organization Focus on the Family during an upcoming promotional book tour with the Pences.[2][3] With the Pences' book scheduled to appear on March 19, John Oliver announced the publication of a "better Bundo book" at that very moment (so preceding the Pences' book).[4][5]

text: A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo is an actual children's story about marriage equality and democracy, rather than a straight-up parody of the Pences' book.[6][7][8] It nevertheless contains some stabs at Mike Pence, with the Marlon Bundo character claiming that Pence "isn't very fun" and a stink bug character sporting a white hairdo looking like Pence's.[1][9]

text: John Oliver acquired two domain names to promote A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo. According to Oliver, the domain betterbundobook.com contrasts the book with the Pence-family-written Bundo book and focusonthefurmily.com satirizes the anti-LGBT organization Focus on the Family.[5]

text: In the March 18 broadcast, Oliver said that aside from sending an inclusive message, he was hoping to annoy Pence over the competition for his family's book and the fact that Last Week Tonight is donating all proceeds of its book to LGBT-friendly organizations (The Trevor Project and AIDS United).[5][10][11]

text: Plot[edit]

text: Marlon Bundo, a black-and-white bunny sporting a colorful bow tie, lives in the home of "Grampa", vice president Mike Pence. Marlon is lonely, but one morning after breakfast, he meets Wesley, a bespectacled brown bunny. They spend the day together, hopping around in the garden and the house. They decide to get married, because they never want to hop without each other again.

text: Marlon and Wesley tell their animal friends, who respond enthusiastically. But the stink bug, who is “In Charge and Important”, yells at them that boy bunnies can only marry girl bunnies. He calls them different, and says that different is bad. The other animals speak up and tell him how each of them is different in their own way. They decide to vote on who is In Charge and Important, and the stink bug is voted out. Marlon and Wesley have their wedding, with their friends in attendance. They go to sleep in anticipation of their "bunnymoon".[8]

text: Commercial performance[edit]

text: One day after its release, the book overtook James Comey's book A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership to become the No. 1 book on Amazon.[12][13] It also topped the e-book sales, thus making the two versions of the book No. 1 and No. 2 on overall Amazon book sales, with the printed edition selling the most of the two.[14] A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo sold much better than the Pence book it was a parody of, which was ranked eleventh in book sales on Amazon on its first day, climbing to No. 4 later in the week.[15][16][3] In the first two days, 180,000 copies were sold.[17][18] Last Week Tonight had not anticipated a large demand and the printed version sold out after two days. While it was being reprinted, it remained possible to order the book on Amazon and it continued to be available as an ebook version for Amazon Kindle and its variant platforms.[19] As of March 20[update], the audiobook version with voice acting from Jim Parsons, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jeff Garlin, Ellie Kemper, John Lithgow, Jack McBrayer and RuPaul was No. 1 on Audible.[20] The book's distributor reported to have 150,000 books on back order three days before it was scheduled to be available in stores, on March 23.[21] On March 28, publisher Chronicle Books reported to have over 400,000 copies in print.[22]

text: Independent booksellers expressed disappointment with Chronicle Books for its handling of the book's launch, making it available via Amazon prior to supplying other retailers.[23]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Public response[edit]

text: The overall public response to the book has been largely positive, as it has garnered 4.9 out of 5 stars on Amazon.[24] It has been revealed, however, that a number of the "one star" reviews are actually in favor of the publication, but are limited to a minimal rating to discourage right-wing "trolls" who were initially anticipating criticism based on the depiction of pro-LGBT themes in the book.[17][18] The publication sparked large numbers of reviews and comments on Amazon. These were overwhelmingly positive, though only about a third of the reviews were left by actual buyers of the book.[25][26][27]

text: On its launch date, a number of one star reviews with negative comments were left on the page of the Pences’ book by non-buyers who favored the Twiss book, while Pence fans counteracted with five-star reviews. Later that day, it was no longer possible to review the Pences' book without purchasing it and one star ratings from non-buyers had been removed.[28][29][30][31][32]

text: News about the book and the controversy it stirred up was picked up by mainstream news outlets in the U.S. and all over the world.[33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40]

text: In a segment on the book on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Ellen DeGeneres praised it and presented John Oliver with a $10,000 check from HBO for The Trevor Project, calling on her viewers to buy the book in support of the project.[19] Will & Grace creator Max Mutchnik donated a copy of the book to every elementary school in Indiana, saying he wanted to counter Pence's "message of intolerance" about gay people, hoping to "provide positive role models and a story of inclusion for children in Pence’s home state".[41]

text: Focus on the Family called John Oliver's treatment of the Pences' book "not just vicious in tone, but also vulgar and vile in every sense of the word and way".[3]

text: Reaction from Charlotte Pence and Regnery Publishing[edit]

text: Charlotte Pence, Mike Pence's daughter and the author of Marlon Bundo's A Day in the Life of the Vice President supported A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo. She posted on Twitter a picture of herself and the real-life Marlon Bundo wearing a bow tie identical to the one in Jill Twiss' book and said in a television interview: "His book is contributing to charities that I think we can all get behind... I'm all for it."[42][43] The official Instagram of Marlon Bundo also spoke of Twiss' book in a positive light, stating "Not gonna lie, I do look pretty fly in a bow tie. The only thing better than one bunny book for charity is...TWO bunny books for charity."[14][44] A portion of the Pences' book's profits were also given to a charity, namely The A21 Campaign.[16][45][46]

text: Regnery Publishing, the conservative book publisher who published the Pence book, initially criticized the release of A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo, saying that it was "unfortunate that anyone would feel the need to ridicule an educational children's book and turn it into something controversial and partisan".[1][47] When the success of both books became apparent, Regnery congratulated John Oliver and Chronicle Books with their sales figures, stating: "There's plenty to go around for everyone and, like Charlotte [Pence] said, we can all be happy the proceeds are going to a good cause."[22]

text: Critical reviews[edit]

text: Common Sense Media gave the book a four star rating and considers it appropriate for children of four years and older, giving it its highest marks for "positive messages" and "positive role models and representations".[8] Susie Wilde of The News & Observer noted that Twiss "understands how to tell a simple story with comic touches and pacing, creating a parody that children might actually enjoy", while Keller's "details are playful and give a strong sense of motion, which works well for the two rabbit heroes who never want to hop without each other." [48] Katy Waldman in The New Yorker called the book "full of the attentive details and poetic grace notes that distinguish good children’s books", while noting its "subtextual treats for adults".[49] Kirkus Reviews remained unconvinced of the book's value for children, calling it "yet another tiresome political picture book that’s nominally for children but really winks at other adults over their heads" and giving it a "skip it" rating.[50][51] However, The Globe and Mail's Anna Fitzpatrick wrote that "while an unabashed political parody, it also stands on its own as a children's book".[52]


document_title: J. K. Rowling

question_text: why did jk rowling use a pseudonym for harry potter

question_tokens: why did jk rowling use a pseudonym for harry potter

text: J. K. Rowling

text: Name

text: Although she writes under the pen name J. K. Rowling (pronounced rolling),[11] her name, before her remarriage, was simply Joanne Rowling. Anticipating that the target audience of young boys might not want to read a book written by a woman, her publishers asked that she use two initials rather than her full name. As she had no middle name, she chose K (for Kathleen) as the second initial of her pen name, from her paternal grandmother.[12] She calls herself Jo.[13] Following her remarriage, she has sometimes used the name Joanne Murray when conducting personal business.[14][15] During the Leveson Inquiry she gave evidence under the name of Joanne Kathleen Rowling[16] and her entry in Who's Who lists her name also as Joanne Kathleen Rowling.[17]

text: Life and career

text: Birth and family

text: Rowling was born to Peter James Rowling, a Rolls-Royce aircraft engineer,[18] and Anne Rowling (née Volant), a science technician,[19] on 31 July 1965[20][21] in Yate, Gloucestershire, England, 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Bristol.[22][23] Her parents first met on a train departing from King's Cross Station bound for Arbroath in 1964.[24] They married on 14 March 1965.[24] One of her maternal great-grandfathers, Dugald Campbell, was Scottish, born in Lamlash on the Isle of Arran.[25][26] Her mother's paternal grandfather, Louis Volant, was French, and was awarded the Croix de Guerre for exceptional bravery in defending the village of Courcelles-le-Comte during the First World War. Rowling originally believed he had won the Légion d'honneur during the war, as she said when she received it herself in 2009. She later discovered the truth when featured in an episode of the UK genealogy series Who Do You Think You Are?, in which she found out it was a different Louis Volant who won the Legion of Honour. When she heard his story of bravery and discovered the croix de guerre was for "ordinary" soldiers like her grandfather, who had been a waiter, she stated the croix de guerre was "better" to her than the Legion of Honour.[27][28]

text: Childhood

text: Rowling's sister Dianne[5] was born at their home when Rowling was 23 months old.[23] The family moved to the nearby village Winterbourne when Rowling was four.[29] She attended St Michael's Primary School, a school founded by abolitionist William Wilberforce and education reformer Hannah More.[30][31] Her headmaster at St Michael's, Alfred Dunn, has been suggested as the inspiration for the Harry Potter headmaster Albus Dumbledore.[32]

text: As a child, Rowling often wrote fantasy stories which she frequently read to her sister.[11] Aged nine, Rowling moved to Church Cottage in the Gloucestershire village of Tutshill, close to Chepstow, Wales.[23] She attended secondary school at Wyedean School and College, where her mother worked in the science department.[19] When she was a young teenager, her great-aunt gave her a copy of Jessica Mitford's autobiography, Hons and Rebels.[33] Mitford became Rowling's heroine, and Rowling read all of her books.[34]

text: Rowling has said that her teenage years were unhappy.[18] Her home life was complicated by her mother's illness and a strained relationship with her father, with whom she is not on speaking terms.[18] Rowling later said that she based the character of Hermione Granger on herself when she was eleven.[35] Steve Eddy, her first secondary school English teacher, remembers her as "not exceptional" but "one of a group of girls who were bright, and quite good at English".[18] Sean Harris, her best friend in the Upper Sixth, owned a turquoise Ford Anglia which she says inspired a flying version that appeared in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.[36] At this time, she listened to the Clash.[37] Rowling took A-levels in English, French and German, achieving two As and a B[24] and was Head Girl.[18]

text: Education

text: In 1982, Rowling took the entrance exams for Oxford University but was not accepted[18] and read for a B.A. in French and Classics at the University of Exeter.[38] Martin Sorrell, a French professor at Exeter, remembers "a quietly competent student, with a denim jacket and dark hair, who, in academic terms, gave the appearance of doing what was necessary".[18] Rowling recalls doing little work, preferring to read Dickens and Tolkien.[18] Like many teenagers, she became interested in pop music, listening to the Smiths and Siouxsie Sioux and adopted the look of the latter with back-combed hair and black eyeliner; a look that she would still sport it when beginning the university.[39] After a year of study in Paris, Rowling graduated from Exeter in 1986[18] and moved to London to work as a researcher and bilingual secretary for Amnesty International.[40] In 1988, Rowling wrote a short essay about her time studying Classics titled "What was the Name of that Nymph Again? or Greek and Roman Studies Recalled"; it was published by the University of Exeter's journal Pegasus.[41]

text: Inspiration and mother's death

text: After working at Amnesty International in London, Rowling and her then boyfriend decided to move to Manchester,[23] where she worked at the Chamber of Commerce.[24] 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.[23][42]

text: When she had reached her Clapham Junction flat, she began to write immediately.[23][43] In December, Rowling's mother Anne died after ten years suffering from multiple sclerosis.[23] Rowling was writing Harry Potter at the time and had never told her mother about it.[15] Her mother's death heavily affected Rowling's writing,[15] and she channelled her own feelings of loss by writing about Harry's own feelings of loss in greater detail in the first book.[44]

text: Marriage, divorce, and single parenthood

text: An advertisement in The Guardian[24] led Rowling to move to Porto, Portugal, to teach English as a foreign language.[5][34] She taught at night and began writing in the day while listening to Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto.[18] After 18 months in Porto, she met Portuguese television journalist Jorge Arantes in a bar and found they shared an interest in Jane Austen.[24] They married on 16 October 1992 and their child, Jessica Isabel Rowling Arantes (named after Jessica Mitford), was born on 27 July 1993 in Portugal.[24] Rowling had previously suffered a miscarriage.[24] The couple separated on 17 November 1993.[24][45] Biographers have suggested that Rowling suffered domestic abuse during her marriage, although the extent is unknown.[24][46] In December 1993, Rowling and her then-infant daughter moved to Edinburgh, Scotland, to be near Rowling's sister[23] with three chapters of what would become Harry Potter in her suitcase.[18]

text: Seven years after graduating from university, Rowling saw herself as a failure.[47] Her marriage had failed, and she was jobless with a dependent child, but she described her failure as liberating and allowing her to focus on writing.[47] During this period, Rowling was diagnosed with clinical depression and contemplated suicide.[48] Her illness inspired the characters known as Dementors, soul-sucking creatures introduced in the third book.[49] Rowling signed up for welfare benefits, describing her economic status as being "poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain, without being homeless."[18][47]

text: Rowling was left in despair after her estranged husband arrived in Scotland, seeking both her and her daughter.[24] She obtained an Order of Restraint, and Arantes returned to Portugal, with Rowling filing for divorce in August 1994.[24] She began a teacher training course in August 1995 at the Moray House School of Education, at Edinburgh University,[50] after completing her first novel while living on state benefits.[51] She wrote in many cafés, especially Nicolson's Café (owned by her brother-in-law),[52][53] and the Elephant House,[54] wherever she could get Jessica to fall asleep.[23][55] In a 2001 BBC interview, Rowling denied the rumour that she wrote in local cafés to escape from her unheated flat, pointing out that it had heating. One of the reasons she wrote in cafés was that taking her baby out for a walk was the best way to make her fall asleep.[55]

text: Harry Potter

text: In 1995, Rowling finished her manuscript for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone on an old manual typewriter.[57] Upon the enthusiastic response of Bryony Evens, a reader who had been asked to review the book's first three chapters, the Fulham-based Christopher Little Literary Agents agreed to represent Rowling in her quest for a publisher. The book was submitted to twelve publishing houses, all of which rejected the manuscript.[24] A year later she was finally given the green light (and a £1,500 advance) by editor Barry Cunningham from Bloomsbury, a publishing house in London.[24][58] The decision to publish Rowling's book owes much to Alice Newton, the eight-year-old daughter of Bloomsbury's chairman, who was given the first chapter to review by her father and immediately demanded the next.[59] Although Bloomsbury agreed to publish the book, Cunningham says that he advised Rowling to get a day job, since she had little chance of making money in children's books.[60] Soon after, in 1997, Rowling received an £8,000 grant from the Scottish Arts Council to enable her to continue writing.[61]

text: In June 1997, Bloomsbury published Philosopher's Stone with an initial print run of 1,000 copies, 500 of which were distributed to libraries. Today, such copies are valued between £16,000 and £25,000.[62] Five months later, the book won its first award, a Nestlé Smarties Book Prize. In 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, an auction was held in the United States for the rights to publish the novel, and was won by Scholastic Inc., for US$105,000. Rowling said that she "nearly died" when she heard the news.[63] In October 1998, Scholastic published Philosopher's Stone in the US under the title of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, a change Rowling says she now regrets and would have fought if she had been in a better position at the time.[64] Rowling moved from her flat with the money from the Scholastic sale, into 19 Hazelbank Terrace in Edinburgh.[52]

text: Its sequel, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, was published in July 1998 and again Rowling won the Smarties Prize.[65] In December 1999, the third novel, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, won the Smarties Prize, making Rowling the first person to win the award three times running.[66] She later withdrew the fourth Harry Potter novel from contention to allow other books a fair chance. In January 2000, Prisoner of Azkaban won the inaugural Whitbread Children's Book of the Year award, though it lost the Book of the Year prize to Seamus Heaney's translation of Beowulf.[67]

text: The fourth book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, was released simultaneously in the UK and the US on 8 July 2000 and broke sales records in both countries. 372,775 copies of the book were sold in its first day in the UK, almost equalling the number Prisoner of Azkaban sold during its first year.[68] In the US, the book sold three million copies in its first 48 hours, smashing all records.[68] Rowling said that she had had a crisis while writing the novel and had to rewrite one chapter many times to fix a problem with the plot.[69] Rowling was named Author of the Year in the 2000 British Book Awards.[70]

text: A wait 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. This gap led to press speculation that Rowling had developed writer's block, speculations she denied.[71] Rowling later 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.[72]

text: The sixth book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, was released on 16 July 2005. It too broke all sales records, selling nine million copies in its first 24 hours of release.[73] In 2006, Half-Blood Prince received the Book of the Year prize at the British Book Awards.[65]

text: The title of the seventh and final Harry Potter book was announced on 21 December 2006 as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.[74] In February 2007 it was reported that Rowling wrote on a bust in her hotel room at the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh that she had finished the seventh book in that room on 11 January 2007.[75] Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was released on 21 July 2007 (0:01 BST)[76] and broke its predecessor's record as the fastest-selling book of all time.[77] It sold 11 million copies in the first day of release in the United Kingdom and United States.[77] The book's last chapter was one of the earliest things she wrote in the entire series.[78]

text: Harry Potter is now a global brand worth an estimated US$15 billion,[79] and the last four Harry Potter books have consecutively set records as the fastest-selling books in history.[77][80] The series, totalling 4,195 pages,[81] has been translated, in whole or in part, into 65 languages.[82]

text: The Harry Potter books have also gained recognition for sparking an interest in reading among the young at a time when children were thought to be abandoning books for computers and television,[83] although it is reported that despite the huge uptake of the books, adolescent reading has continued to decline.[84]

text: Harry Potter films

text: In October 1998, Warner Bros. purchased the film rights to the first two novels for a seven-figure sum.[85] A film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was released on 16 November 2001, and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on 15 November 2002.[86] Both films were directed by Chris Columbus. The film version of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was released on 4 June 2004, directed by Alfonso Cuarón. The fourth film, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, was directed by Mike Newell, and released on 18 November 2005. The film of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was released on 11 July 2007.[86] David Yates directed, and Michael Goldenberg wrote the screenplay, having taken over the position from Steve Kloves. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was released on 15 July 2009.[87] David Yates directed again, and Kloves returned to write the script.[88] Warner Bros. filmed the final instalment of the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, in two segments, with part one being released on 19 November 2010 and part two being released on 15 July 2011. Yates directed both films.[89][90]

text: Warner Bros. took considerable notice of Rowling's desires and thoughts when drafting her contract. One of her principal stipulations was the films be shot in Britain with an all-British cast,[91] which has been generally adhered to. Rowling also demanded that Coca-Cola, the victor in the race to tie in their products to the film series, donate US$18 million to the American charity Reading is Fundamental, as well as several community charity programs.[92]

text: The first four, sixth, seventh, and eighth films were scripted by Steve Kloves; Rowling assisted him in the writing process, ensuring that his scripts did not contradict future books in the series.[93] She told Alan Rickman (Severus Snape) and Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid) certain secrets about their characters before they were revealed in the books.[94] Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) asked her if Harry died at any point in the series; Rowling answered him by saying, "You have a death scene", thereby not explicitly answering the question.[95] Director Steven Spielberg was approached to direct the first film, but dropped out. The press has repeatedly claimed that Rowling played a role in his departure, but Rowling stated that she had no say in who directed the films and would not have vetoed Spielberg.[96] Rowling's first choice for the director had been Monty Python member Terry Gilliam, but Warner Bros. wanted a family-friendly film and chose Columbus.[97]

text: Rowling had gained some creative control on the films, reviewing all the scripts[98] as well as acting as a producer on the final two-part instalment, Deathly Hallows.[99]

text: Rowling, producers David Heyman and David Barron, along with directors David Yates, Mike Newell and Alfonso Cuarón collected the Michael Balcon Award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema at the 2011 British Academy Film Awards in honour of the Harry Potter film franchise.[100]

text: In September 2013, Warner Bros. announced an "expanded creative partnership" with Rowling, based on a planned series of films about Newt Scamander, author of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The first film, scripted by Rowling, was released in November 2016 and is set roughly 70 years before the events of the main series.[101] In 2016, it was announced that the series would consist of five films, with the second scheduled for release in November 2018.[102]

text: Financial success

text: In 2004, Forbes named Rowling as the first person to become a U.S.-dollar billionaire by writing books,[103] the second-richest female entertainer and the 1,062nd richest person in the world.[104] Rowling disputed the calculations and said she had plenty of money, but was not a billionaire.[105] The 2016 Sunday Times Rich List estimated Rowling's fortune at £600 million, ranking her as the joint 197th richest person in the UK.[8] In 2012, Forbes removed Rowling from their rich list, claiming that her US$160 million in charitable donations and the high tax rate in the UK meant she was no longer a billionaire.[106] In February 2013 she was assessed as the 13th most powerful woman in the United Kingdom by Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4.[107]

text: In 2001, Rowling purchased a 19th-century estate house, Killiechassie House, on the banks of the River Tay, near Aberfeldy, in Perth and Kinross.[108] Rowling also owns a £4.5 million Georgian house in Kensington, west London, on a street with 24-hour security.[109]

text: In 2017, Rowling was worth an estimated £650 million according to the Sunday Times Rich List.[110] She was named the most highly paid author in the world with earnings of £72 million ($95 million) a year by Forbes magazine in 2017.[111]

text: Remarriage and family

text: On 26 December 2001, Rowling married Neil Murray (born 30 June 1971), a Scottish doctor,[112] in a private ceremony at her home, Killiechassie House, near Aberfeldy.[113] Their son, David Gordon Rowling Murray, was born on 24 March 2003.[114] Shortly after Rowling began writing Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, she ceased working on the novel to care for David in his early infancy.[115]

text: Rowling is a friend of Sarah Brown, wife of former prime minister Gordon Brown, whom she met when they collaborated on a charitable project. When Sarah Brown's son Fraser was born in 2003, Rowling was one of the first to visit her in hospital.[116] Rowling's youngest child, daughter Mackenzie Jean Rowling Murray, to whom she dedicated Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, was born on 23 January 2005.[117]

text: In October 2012, a New Yorker magazine article stated that the Rowling family lived in a seventeenth-century Edinburgh house, concealed at the front by tall conifer hedges. Prior to October 2012, Rowling lived near the author Ian Rankin, who later said she was quiet and introspective, and that she seemed in her element with children.[18][118] As of June 2014[update], the family resides in Scotland.[119]

text: The Casual Vacancy

text: In July 2011, Rowling parted company with her agent, Christopher Little, moving to a new agency founded by one of his staff, Neil Blair.[18][120] On 23 February 2012, his agency, the Blair Partnership, announced on its website that Rowling was set to publish a new book targeted at adults. In a press release, Rowling said that her new book would be quite different from Harry Potter. In April 2012, Little, Brown and Company announced that the book was titled The Casual Vacancy and would be released on 27 September 2012.[121] Rowling gave several interviews and made appearances to promote The Casual Vacancy, including at the London Southbank Centre,[122] the Cheltenham Literature Festival,[123] Charlie Rose[124] and the Lennoxlove Book Festival.[125] In its first three weeks of release, The Casual Vacancy sold over 1 million copies worldwide.[126]

text: On 3 December 2012, it was announced that the BBC would be adapting The Casual Vacancy into a television drama miniseries. Rowling's agent, Neil Blair acted as producer, through his independent production company and with Rick Senat serving as executive producer. Rowling collaborated on the adaptation, serving as an executive producer for the series. The series aired in three parts from 15 February to 1 March 2015.[127][128]

text: Cormoran Strike

text: In 2007, during the Edinburgh Book Festival, author Ian Rankin claimed that his wife spotted Rowling "scribbling away" at a detective novel in a café.[129] Rankin later retracted the story, claiming it was a joke,[130] but the rumour persisted, with a report in 2012 in The Guardian speculating that Rowling's next book would be a crime novel.[131] In an interview with Stephen Fry in 2005, Rowling claimed that she would much prefer to write any subsequent books under a pseudonym, but she conceded to Jeremy Paxman in 2003 that if she did, the press would probably "find out in seconds".[132]

text: In April 2013, Little Brown published The Cuckoo's Calling, the purported début novel of author Robert Galbraith, whom the publisher described as "a former plainclothes Royal Military Police investigator who had left in 2003 to work in the civilian security industry".[133] The novel, a detective story in which private investigator Cormoran Strike unravels the supposed suicide of a supermodel, sold 1,500 copies in hardback (although the matter was not resolved as of 21 July 2013[update]; later reports stated that this number is the number of copies that were printed for the first run, while the sales total was closer to 500)[134] and received acclaim from other crime writers[133] and critics[135]—a Publishers Weekly review called the book a "stellar debut",[136] while the Library Journal's mystery section pronounced the novel "the debut of the month".[137]

text: India Knight, a novelist and columnist for The Sunday Times, tweeted on 9 July 2013 that she had been reading The Cuckoo's Calling and thought it was good for a début novel. In response, a tweeter called Jude Callegari said that the author was Rowling. Knight queried this but got no further reply.[138] Knight notified Richard Brooks, arts editor of the Sunday Times, who began his own investigation.[138][139] After discovering that Rowling and Galbraith had the same agent and editor, he sent the books for linguistic analysis which found similarities, and subsequently contacted Rowling's agent who confirmed it was Rowling's pseudonym.[139] Within days of Rowling being revealed as the author, sales of the book rose by 4,000%,[138] and Little Brown printed another 140,000 copies to meet the increase in demand.[140] As of 18 June 2013[update], a signed copy of the first edition sold for US$4,453 (£2,950), while an unsold signed first-edition copy was being offered for $6,188 (£3,950).[134]

text: Rowling said that she had enjoyed working under a pseudonym.[141] On her Robert Galbraith website, Rowling explained that she took the name from one of her personal heroes, Robert Kennedy, and a childhood fantasy name she had invented for herself, Ella Galbraith.[142]

text: Soon after the revelation, Brooks pondered whether Jude Callegari could have been Rowling as part of wider speculation that the entire affair had been a publicity stunt. Some also noted that many of the writers who had initially praised the book, such as Alex Gray or Val McDermid,[143] were within Rowling's circle of acquaintances; both vociferously denied any foreknowledge of Rowling's authorship.[138] Judith "Jude" Callegari was the best friend of the wife of Chris Gossage, a partner within Russells Solicitors, Rowling's legal representatives.[144][145] Rowling released a statement saying she was disappointed and angry;[144] Russells apologised for the leak, confirming it was not part of a marketing stunt and that "the disclosure was made in confidence to someone he [Gossage] trusted implicitly".[140] Russells made a donation to the Soldiers' Charity on Rowling's behalf and reimbursed her for her legal fees.[146] On 26 November 2013 the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) issued Gossage a written rebuke and £1,000 fine for breaching privacy rules.[147]

text: On 17 February 2014, Rowling announced that the second Cormoran Strike novel, named The Silkworm, would be released in June 2014. It sees Strike investigating the disappearance of a writer hated by many of his old friends for insulting them in his new novel.[148]

text: In 2015, Rowling stated on Galbraith's website that the third Cormoran Strike novel would include "an insane amount of planning, the most I have done for any book I have written so far. I have colour-coded spreadsheets so I can keep a track of where I am going."[149] On 24 April 2015, Rowling announced that work on the third book was completed. Titled Career of Evil, it was released on 20 October 2015 in the United States, and on 22 October 2015 in the United Kingdom.[150]

text: In 2017, the BBC released a Cormoran Strike television series, starring Tom Burke as Cormoran Strike, it was picked up by HBO for distribution in the United States and Canada.[151]

text: Rowling confirmed that she would release the fourth instalment of the series sometime in 2017.[152] In March 2017, Rowling revealed the fourth novel's title via Twitter in a game of "Hangman" with her followers. After many failed attempts, followers finally guessed correctly. Rowling confirmed that the next novel's title is Lethal White.[153]

text: Subsequent Harry Potter publications

text: Rowling has said it is unlikely she will write any more books in the Harry Potter series.[154] In October 2007 she stated that her future work was unlikely to be in the fantasy genre.[155] On 1 October 2010, in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Rowling stated a new book on the saga might happen.[156]

text: In 2007, Rowling stated that she planned to write an encyclopaedia of Harry Potter's wizarding world consisting of various unpublished material and notes.[157] Any profits from such a book would be given to charity.[158] During a news conference at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre in 2007, Rowling, when asked how the encyclopaedia was coming along, said, "It's not coming along, and I haven't started writing it. I never said it was the next thing I'd do."[159] At the end of 2007, Rowling said that the encyclopaedia could take up to ten years to complete.[160]

text: In June 2011, Rowling announced that future Harry Potter projects, and all electronic downloads, would be concentrated in a new website, called Pottermore.[161] The site includes 18,000 words of information on characters, places and objects in the Harry Potter universe.[162]

text: In October 2015, Rowling announced via Pottermore, that a two part play she had co-authored with playwrights Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, was the 'eighth Harry Potter story' and that it would focus on the life of Harry Potter's youngest son Albus after the epilogue of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.[163] On 28 October 2015, the first round of tickets went on sale and sold out in several hours.[164]

text: Philanthropy

text: In 2000, Rowling established the Volant Charitable Trust, which uses its annual budget of £5.1 million to combat poverty and social inequality. The fund also gives to organisations that aid children, one parent families, and multiple sclerosis research.[165][166]

text: Anti-poverty and children's welfare

text: Rowling, once a single parent, is now president of the charity Gingerbread (originally One Parent Families), having become their first Ambassador in 2000.[167][168] Rowling collaborated with Sarah Brown to write a book of children's stories to aid One Parent Families.[169]

text: In 2001, the UK anti-poverty fundraiser Comic Relief asked three best-selling British authors – cookery writer and TV presenter Delia Smith, Bridget Jones creator Helen Fielding, and Rowling – to submit booklets related to their most famous works for publication.[170] Rowling's two booklets, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages, are ostensibly facsimiles of books found in the Hogwarts library. Since going on sale in March 2001, the books have raised £15.7 million for the fund. The £10.8 million they have raised outside the UK have been channelled into a newly created International Fund for Children and Young People in Crisis.[171] In 2002 Rowling contributed a foreword to Magic, an anthology of fiction published by Bloomsbury Publishing, helping to raise money for the National Council for One Parent Families.[172]

text: In 2005, Rowling and MEP Emma Nicholson founded the Children's High Level Group (now Lumos).[173] In January 2006, Rowling went to Bucharest to highlight the use of caged beds in mental institutions for children.[174] To further support the CHLG, Rowling auctioned one of seven handwritten and illustrated copies of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a series of fairy tales referred to in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The book was purchased for £1.95 million by on-line bookseller Amazon.com on 13 December 2007, becoming the most expensive modern book ever sold at auction.[175][175][176] Rowling gave away the remaining six copies to those who have a close connection with the Harry Potter books.[175] In 2008, Rowling agreed to publish the book with the proceeds going to Lumos.[118] On 1 June 2010 (International Children's Day), Lumos launched an annual initiative – Light a Birthday Candle for Lumos.[177] In November 2013, Rowling handed over all earnings from the sale of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, totalling nearly £19 million.[178]

text: In July 2012, Rowling was featured at the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in London where she read a few lines from J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan as part of a tribute to Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children. An inflatable representation of Lord Voldemort and other children's literary characters accompanied her reading.[179]

text: Multiple sclerosis

text: Rowling has contributed money and support for research and treatment of multiple sclerosis, from which her mother suffered before her death in 1990. In 2006, Rowling contributed a substantial sum toward the creation of a new Centre for Regenerative Medicine at Edinburgh University, later named the Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic.[180] In 2010 she donated a further £10 million to the centre.[181] For reasons unknown, Scotland, Rowling's country of adoption, has the highest rate of multiple sclerosis in the world. In 2003, Rowling took part in a campaign to establish a national standard of care for MS sufferers.[182] In April 2009, she announced that she was withdrawing her support for Multiple Sclerosis Society Scotland, citing her inability to resolve an ongoing feud between the organisation's northern and southern branches that had sapped morale and led to several resignations.[182]

text: Other philanthropic work

text: In May 2008, bookseller Waterstones asked Rowling and 12 other writers (Sebastian Faulks, Doris Lessing, Lisa Appignanesi, Margaret Atwood, Lauren Child, Richard Ford, Neil Gaiman, Nick Hornby, Michael Rosen, Axel Scheffler, Tom Stoppard and Irvine Welsh) to compose a short piece of their own choosing on a single A5 card, which would then be sold at auction in aid of the charities Dyslexia Action and English PEN. Rowling's contribution was an 800-word Harry Potter prequel that concerns Harry's father, James Potter, and godfather, Sirius Black, and takes place three years before Harry was born. The cards were collated and sold for charity in book form in August 2008.[183]

text: On 1 and 2 August 2006, she read alongside Stephen King and John Irving at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Profits from the event were donated to the Haven Foundation, a charity that aids artists and performers left uninsurable and unable to work, and the medical NGO Médecins Sans Frontières.[184] In May 2007, Rowling pledged a donation reported as over £250,000 to a reward fund started by the tabloid News of the World for the safe return of a young British girl, Madeleine McCann, who disappeared in Portugal.[185] Rowling, along with Nelson Mandela, Al Gore, and Alan Greenspan, wrote an introduction to a collection of Gordon Brown's speeches, the proceeds of which were donated to the Jennifer Brown Research Laboratory.[186] After her exposure as the true author of The Cuckoo's Calling led a massive increase in sales, Rowling announced she would donate all her royalties to the Army Benevolent Fund, claiming she had always intended to, but never expected the book to be a bestseller.[187]

text: Rowling is a member of both English PEN and Scottish PEN. She was one of 50 authors to contribute to First Editions, Second Thoughts, a charity auction for English PEN. Each author hand annotated a first edition copy of one of their books: In Rowling's case, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. The book was the highest selling lot of the event and fetched £150,000 ($228,600).[188]

text: Rowling is a supporter of The Shannon Trust, which runs the Toe by Toe Reading Plan and the Shannon Reading Plan in prisons across Britain, helping and giving tutoring to prisoners who cannot read.[189]

text: Influences

text: Rowling has named communist and civil rights activist Jessica Mitford as her "most influential writer" saying, "Jessica Mitford has been my heroine since I was 14 years old, when I overheard my formidable great-aunt discussing how Mitford had run away at the age of 19 to fight with the Reds in the Spanish Civil War", and claims what inspired her about Mitford was that she was "incurably and instinctively rebellious, brave, adventurous, funny and irreverent, she liked nothing better than a good fight, preferably against a pompous and hypocritical target".[190] Rowling has described Jane Austen as her favourite author,[191] calling Emma her favourite book in O, The Oprah Magazine.[192] As a child, Rowling has said her early influences included The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge, and Manxmouse by Paul Gallico.[193]

text: Views

text: Politics

text: Rowling is known for her leftist political views. In September 2008, on the eve of the Labour Party Conference, Rowling announced that she had donated £1 million to the Labour Party, and publicly endorsed Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown over Conservative challenger David Cameron, praising Labour's policies on child poverty.[194] Rowling is a close friend of Sarah Brown, wife of Gordon Brown, whom she met when they collaborated on a charitable project for One Parent Families.[116]

text: Rowling discussed the 2008 United States presidential election with the Spanish-language newspaper El País in February 2008, stating that the election would have a profound effect on the rest of the world. She also said that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton would be "extraordinary" in the White House. In the same interview, Rowling identified Robert F. Kennedy as her hero.[195]

text: In April 2010, Rowling published an article in The Times, in which she criticised Cameron's plan to encourage married couples to stay together by offering them a £150 annual tax credit: "Nobody who has ever experienced the reality of poverty could say 'it's not the money, it's the message'. When your flat has been broken into, and you cannot afford a locksmith, it is the money. When you are two pence short of a tin of baked beans, and your child is hungry, it is the money. When you find yourself contemplating shoplifting to get nappies, it is the money."[196]

text: As a resident of Scotland, Rowling was eligible to vote in the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence, and campaigned for the "No" vote.[197] She donated £1 million to the Better Together anti-independence campaign (run by her former neighbour Alistair Darling),[119] the largest donation it had received at the time. In a blog post, Rowling explained that an open letter from Scottish medical professionals raised problems with First Minister Alex Salmond's plans for a common research funding.[119] Rowling compared some Scottish Nationalists with the Death Eaters, characters from Harry Potter who are scornful of those without pure blood.[198]

text: On 22 October 2015 a letter was published in The Guardian signed by Rowling (along with over 150 other figures from arts and politics) opposing the cultural boycott of Israel, and announcing the creation of a network for dialogue, called Culture for Coexistence.[199] Rowling later explained her position in more detail, saying that although she opposed most of Benjamin Netanyahu's actions she did not think the cultural boycott would bring about the removal of Israel's leader or help improve the situation in Israel and Palestine.[200]

text: In June 2016, Rowling campaigned against the Referendum to leave the European Union, stating on her website that, "I'm the mongrel product of this European continent and I'm an internationalist. I was raised by a Francophile mother whose family was proud of their part-French heritage ... My values are not contained or proscribed by borders. The absence of a visa when I cross the channel has symbolic value to me. I might not be in my house, but I'm still in my hometown."[201]

text: Religion

text: Over the years, some religious people, particularly Christians, have decried Rowling's books for supposedly promoting witchcraft. Rowling identifies as a Christian,[202] and attended a Church of Scotland congregation while writing Harry Potter. Her eldest daughter, Jessica, was baptised there.[202][203] She once said, "I believe in God, not magic."[204] Early on she felt that if readers knew of her Christian beliefs they would be able to predict her plot line.[205]

text: In 2007, Rowling described having been brought up in the Church of England. She said she was the only one in her family who regularly went to church. As a student she became annoyed at the "smugness of religious people" and worshipped less often. Later, she started to attend again at a church in Edinburgh.[206]

text: In a 2006 interview with Tatler magazine, Rowling noted that, "like Graham Greene, my faith is sometimes about if my faith will return. It's important to me."[15] She has said that she has struggled with doubt, that she believes in an afterlife,[207] and that her faith plays a part in her books.[208][209][210] In a 2012 radio interview, she said that she was a member of the Scottish Episcopal Church, a province of the Anglican Communion.[211]

text: In 2015, following the referendum on same-sex marriage in Ireland, Rowling joked that if Ireland legalized same-sex marriage, Dumbledore and Gandalf could get married there.[212] The Westboro Baptist Church, in response, stated that if the two got married, they would picket. Rowling responded by saying "Alas, the sheer awesomeness of such a union in such a place would blow your tiny bigoted minds out of your thick sloping skulls."[213]

text: Press

text: Rowling has had a difficult relationship with the press. She admits to being "thin-skinned" and dislikes the fickle nature of reporting. Rowling disputes her reputation as a recluse who hates to be interviewed.[214]

text: By 2011, Rowling had taken more than 50 actions against the press.[215] In 2001, the Press Complaints Commission upheld a complaint by Rowling over a series of unauthorised photographs of her with her daughter on the beach in Mauritius published in OK! magazine.[216] In 2007, Rowling's young son, David, assisted by Rowling and her husband, lost a court fight to ban publication of a photograph of him. The photo, taken by a photographer using a long-range lens, was subsequently published in a Sunday Express article featuring Rowling's family life and motherhood.[14] The judgement was overturned in David's favour in May 2008.[217]

text: Rowling particularly dislikes the British tabloid the Daily Mail, which has conducted interviews with her estranged ex-husband. As one journalist noted, "Harry's Uncle Vernon is a grotesque philistine of violent tendencies and remarkably little brain. It is not difficult to guess which newspaper Rowling gives him to read [in Goblet of Fire]."[218] As of January 2014[update], she was seeking damages from the Mail for libel over an article about her time as a single mother.[219] Some have speculated that Rowling's fraught relationship with the press was the inspiration behind the character Rita Skeeter, a gossipy celebrity journalist who first appears in Goblet of Fire, but Rowling noted in 2000 that the character predates her rise to fame.[220]

text: In September 2011, Rowling was named a "core participant" in the Leveson Inquiry into the culture, practices and ethics of the British press, as one of dozens of celebrities who may have been the victim of phone hacking.[221] On 24 November 2011, Rowling gave evidence before the inquiry; although she was not suspected to have been the victim of phone hacking,[222] her testimony included accounts of photographers camping on her doorstep, her fiancé being duped into giving his home address to a journalist masquerading as a tax official,[222] her chasing a journalist a week after giving birth,[215] a journalist leaving a note inside her then-five-year-old daughter's schoolbag, and an attempt by The Sun to "blackmail" her into a photo opportunity in exchange for the return of a stolen manuscript.[223] Rowling claimed she had to leave her former home in Merchiston because of press intrusion.[223] In November 2012, Rowling wrote an article for The Guardian in reaction to David Cameron's decision not to implement the full recommendations of the Leveson inquiry, saying she felt "duped and angry".[224]

text: In 2014, Rowling reaffirmed her support for "Hacked Off" and its campaign towards press self-regulation by co-signing with other British celebrities a declaration to "[safeguard] the press from political interference while also giving vital protection to the vulnerable."[225]

text: Legal disputes

text: Rowling, her publishers, and Time Warner, the owner of the rights to the Harry Potter films, have taken numerous legal actions to protect their copyright. The worldwide popularity of the Harry Potter series has led to the appearance of a number of locally produced, unauthorised sequels and other derivative works, sparking efforts to ban or contain them.[226]

text: Another area of legal dispute involves a series of injunctions obtained by Rowling and her publishers to prohibit anyone from reading her books before their official release date.[227] The injunction drew fire from civil liberties and free speech campaigners and sparked debates over the "right to read".[228][229]

text: Awards and honours

text: Rowling has received honorary degrees from St Andrews University, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Napier University, the University of Exeter which she attended,[230] the University of Aberdeen[231][232] and Harvard University, for whom she spoke at the 2008 commencement ceremony.[233] In 2009 Rowling was made a Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.[27] In 2011 Rowling became an honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.[234]

text: Other awards include:[65]

text:
1997: Nestlé Smarties Book Prize, Gold Award for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
1998: Nestlé Smarties Book Prize, Gold Award for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
1998: British Children's Book of the Year, winner Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
1999: Nestlé Smarties Book Prize, Gold Award for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
1999: National Book Awards Children's Book of the Year, winner Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
1999: Whitbread Children's Book of the Year, winner Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
2000: British Book Awards, Author of the Year[70]
2000: Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to Children's Literature[235]
2000: Locus Award, winner Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
2001: Hugo Award for Best Novel, winner Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
2003: Premio Príncipe de Asturias, Concord
2003: Bram Stoker Award for Best Work for Young Readers, winner Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
2006: British Book of the Year, winner for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
2007: Blue Peter Badge, Gold
2007: Named Barbara Walters' Most Fascinating Person of the year[236]
2008: British Book Awards, Outstanding Achievement
2008 The Edinburgh Award[237]
2010: Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award, inaugural award winner
2011: British Academy Film Awards, Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema for the Harry Potter film series, shared with David Heyman, cast and crew
2012: Freedom of the City of London
2012: Rowling was among the British cultural icons selected by artist Sir Peter Blake to appear in a new version of his most famous artwork – the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover – to celebrate the British cultural figures of his life.[238]

tag: ul

text: She was appointed Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) in the 2017 Birthday Honours for services to literature and philanthropy.[239]

text: Publications

text: Children

text: Harry Potter series

text:
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (26 June 1997)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2 July 1998)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (8 July 1999)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (8 July 2000)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (21 June 2003)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (16 July 2005)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (21 July 2007)

tag: ol

text: Related works

text:
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (supplement to the Harry Potter series) (1 March 2001)
Quidditch Through the Ages (supplement to the Harry Potter series) (1 March 2001)
The Tales of Beedle the Bard (supplement to the Harry Potter series) (4 December 2008)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (story concept) (play written by Jack Thorne) (31 July 2016)
Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics and Pesky Poltergeists (6 September 2016)
Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies (6 September 2016)
Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide (6 September 2016)
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (film script) (19 November 2016)

text: Short stories

text: Harry Potter prequel (July 2008)

text: Adults

text: The Casual Vacancy (27 September 2012)

text: Cormoran Strike series

text:
The Cuckoo's Calling (as Robert Galbraith) (18 April 2013)
The Silkworm (as Robert Galbraith) (19 June 2014)
Career of Evil (as Robert Galbraith) (20 October 2015)
Lethal White (as Robert Galbraith) (forthcoming)[240]

text: Other

text: Non-fiction

text:
McNeil, Gil and Brown, Sarah, editors (2002). Foreword to the anthology Magic. Bloomsbury.
Brown, Gordon (2006). Introduction to "Ending Child Poverty" in Moving Britain Forward. Selected Speeches 1997–2006. Bloomsbury.
Sussman, Peter Y., editor (26 July 2006). "The First It Girl: J. K. Rowling reviews Decca: the Letters by Jessica Mitford". The Daily Telegraph.
Anelli, Melissa (2008). Foreword to Harry, A History. Pocket Books.
Rowling, J. K. (5 June 2008). "The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination". Harvard Magazine.

J. K. Rowling, Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and Importance of Imagination, illustrated by Joel Holland, Sphere, 14 April 2015, 80 pages (ISBN 978-1-4087-0678-7).

Rowling, J. K. (30 April 2009). "Gordon Brown – The 2009 Time 100". Time magazine.
Rowling, J. K. (14 April 2010). "The Single Mother's Manifesto". The Times.
Rowling, J. K. (30 November 2012). "I feel duped and angry at David Cameron's reaction to Leveson". The Guardian.
Rowling, J. K. (17 December 2014). Isn’t it time we left orphanages to fairytales? The Guardian.
Rowling, J. K. (guest editor) (28 April 2014). "Woman's Hour Takeover". Woman's Hour, BBC Radio 4.[241]

text: Filmography

text:
Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

tag: table

text:
Year
Title
Credited as
Notes
Ref.

Writer
Producer
Executive producer

2010
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1

Yes

Based on her novel Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
[99]

2011
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2

Yes

Based on her novel Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
[99]

2015
The Casual Vacancy

Yes
Television miniseries based on her novel The Casual Vacancy
[242]

2016
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Yes
Yes

Based on her Harry Potter supplementary book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
[101]

2017
Strike

Yes
Television series based on her Cormoran Strike novels
[243]

2018
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
Yes
Yes

Based on her Harry Potter supplementary book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them


document_title: Healing the man blind from birth

question_text: who sinned this man or his parents verse

text: Healing the man blind from birth

text: The miracle of healing the man born blind is one of the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels.

text: According to the Gospel of John, 9:1–12,[1] Jesus saw a man who had been blind since birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

text: Jesus replied:

text: Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

text: Having said this, he spat on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. "Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means "Sent"). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

text: His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, "Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg?" Some claimed that he was. Others said, "No, he only looks like him." But he himself insisted, "I am the man."

text: "How then were your eyes opened?" they asked. He replied, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see."

text: "Where is this man?" they asked him. "I don't know," he said.

text: In this miracle, Jesus applies the title Light of the World to himself in John 9:5, saying:[2]

text: This episode leads into John 9:39 where Jesus metaphorically explains that he came to this world, so that the blind may see.[2]

text: According to Christian tradition, the man's name was Celidonius. Jesus is shaking