Harry Potter author JK Rowling will address her controversial opinions on transgender rights in a new podcast series dropping this week.
The seven-episode series titled The Witch Trials of JK Rowling is essentially an extended interview conducted by American writer Megan Phelps-Roper, who visited the novelist at her home in Edinburgh in May and August last year.
Phelps-Roper is a former member of the notorious Westboro Baptist Church, which was founded by her grandfather but which she left in 2012. She has since spoken out against their practices.
She has said the podcast was “never intended to vindicate” Rowling, whose comments about transgender issues on Twitter regularly inspire storms of condemnation and outrage.
Rather, Phelps-Roper told The Times: “It’s an attempt to understand what’s happening, and to do that you need the perspectives of so many other people – on all sides – because the issues are so complex.”
What will the podcast discuss?
Podcast host Free Press, founded by former New York Times op-ed writer Bari Weiss, describes the show as an “audio documentary that examines some of the most contentious conflicts of our time through the life and career of the world’s most successful author”.
As for Rowling herself, she tweeted last week: “Last year, I received a long, thoughtful letter from Megan Phelps-Roper inviting me to take part in a personal, in-depth discussion with her about the issues that have interested me in recent years.
“Megan proposed bringing in other voices, and looking at the wider picture, bringing her own unique viewpoint as a former fundamentalist who’s dedicated her life over the past decade to difficult conversations.
“I agreed to sit down with Megan because, having read her wonderful book, Unfollow, I thought the two of us could have a real, interesting, two-sided conversation that might prove constructive.”
When is the podcast released?
The Witch Trials of JK Rowling premieres on Tuesday 21 February.
According to Variety, the first two episodes will appear together with the remaining five dropping one-by-one weekly over the next five weeks.
How can I listen to it?
It will be available on all major audio streaming platforms including Spotify, Google Play, Apple Podcasts and Audible.
