Shhh...! It’s JK Rowling!
Library book group left stunned as writer jets in to discuss her novel
HER tales of three young wizards making mischief at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft captured the hearts of millions of children worldwide.
And it seems Harry Potter author JK Rowling is fond of a little trickery herself, after she surprised a local book group by jetting in to a Scottish island to join their discussion.
The writer left crime reading group the Saturday Slaughters spellbound by turning up at Orkney Library as they were about to discuss one of her novels.
When the UK’s best- selling novelist spotted a notice for the event on Twitter on Friday she chartered a plane and flew up to the island.
The Saturday Slaughters group was stunned into silence when Edinburgh-based Miss Rowling arrived unannounced and sat down with them for tea and cake.
Librarian Stewart Bain, who tweets as @OrkneyLibrary, had no idea what she was planning when he engaged in playful banter with her on Twitter.
Mr Bain had posted about the event – to discuss The Cuckoo’s Calling, written by Miss Rowling under the pseudonym Robert
‘It was a fantastic afternoon’
Galbraith – on the library’s Twitter feed on Friday.
The writer spotted the post and replied: ‘ That sounds like a fun event.’
Mr Bain joked: ‘It certainly will be. If you set off for Scrabster now you should still catch the ferry.’
Miss Rowling replied that as the weather looked a bit rough she would ‘apparate’ – magically teleport – in Harry Potter style.
And when Mr Bain promised there would be cake, it was enough for the author to take the bait.
On Saturday, the reading group was shocked by news that Miss Rowling had been spotted at Kirkwall Airport. After a tour of the library and a chat with local children, the author went upstairs to join the Saturday Slaughters group, which meets once a month to review crime books.
She posed with them for photos and with the library’s Wooden Woman mannequin, which was wearing a Harry Potter sorting hat, before listening in on the group discussion.
She said afterwards: ‘I had the best time. Thanks for the wonderful chat, cake and, of course, letting me touch The Book – Organic Gardening with Love by Thelma Barlow.’
She was referring to a book written by the Coronation Street star in 1998, which is an in-joke among Orkney Library’s 23,000 Twitter followers.
Miss Rowling’s spur- of- the - moment jaunt came at a price, though. A private chartered flight from Edinburgh to Orkney costs in the region of £6,000, in a small jet.
After the visit Mr Bain said: ‘I was surprised and delighted that JK Rowling came to Orkney for Saturday Slaughters.
‘I had chatted to her on Twitter about it but never expected her to appear. She spoke with the group for over an hour. It was a really fantastic afternoon.’
Miss Rowling has been following the library’s Twitter feed since last summer.
She has 6.9million followers but only follows 294 people herself. Other famous @OrkneyLibrary followers include Ian Rankin, Dawn French, Margaret Atwood, Caitlin Moran, Dame Edna, Andrew Marr, Jeremy Vine, Simon Mayo and Val McDermid.
The Cuckoo’s Calling, published in 2013, is the first in the Cormoran Strike series of novels and was followed by The Silkworm in 2014 and Career of Evil in 2015.
The books feature the crimesolving adventures of fictional London-based private detective Cormoran Strike, and his female secretary Robin Ellacott.
It’s been a remarkable few days for librarian Mr Bain. Just last week he was named Librarian of the Year by the Publishers Publicity Circle.
Of the accolade, he said: ‘I am delighted to be voted Librarian of the Year by members of the PPC.
‘I have worked with some fantastic publicists over the past year to bring a number of top authors to Orkney.
‘This award is recognition of the quality service provided by all staff at Orkney Library and Archive. It also highlights the vital role libraries play in promoting books and i ntroducing r eaders t o new authors.’
The Orkney Library was also named Library of the Year in the 2015 Bookseller Awards.