Author J.K. Rowling says writing the last of her seven Harry Potter books is proving to be "fun in a way that it hasn't been before."
"To an extent the pressure's off, I suppose, because it's the last book so I feel quite liberated," she said yesterday. "Now I can just resolve the story."
Rowling was in the United States for the first time since 2000 to take part in an authors' reading for charity. She, Stephen King and John Irving were scheduled to read from their own works on Tuesday and Wednesday nights at Radio City Music Hall.
"An Evening with Harry, Carrie and Garp" is supporting two non-profit organizations: The Haven Foundation, King's choice, which helps performing artists whose accidents or illnesses have left them uninsured and unable to work, and Doctors Without Borders, Rowling's pick, a humanitarian group that delivers emergency aid in more than 70 countries.
King, who came up with the idea after doing a reading for a favoured cause of Irving's, said they hoped to raise at least 250,000 dollars for each group.
Rowling said she was "well into" the writing of the seventh Potter book. While she will miss writing the series that have made her a global publishing phenomenon, there would also be an element of freedom, she said.
{{/usCountry}}Rowling said she was "well into" the writing of the seventh Potter book. While she will miss writing the series that have made her a global publishing phenomenon, there would also be an element of freedom, she said.
{{/usCountry}}"There will also be a sense of liberation as well because there are pressures involved in writing something that's popular, and wonderful though it's been, I think that there will also be a certain freedom in escaping that particular part of writing Harry Potter," she said.