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Nick and John have posted eight Hallmarked Man conversations since its publication last month and, as interesting as their back-and-forth talks have been, South Wales to American Fly Over Country, Lake to Shed, much of the best theorizing and interpreting of Strike 8 has been happening in the comment threads beneath those posts and in email messaging with John. Determined that these insights wouldn't be lost or invisible to Serious Strikers, they chose ten of the most challenging for a fun introduction to the fandom conversations readers not privy to the backchannel moderators network or who neglect the comment threads are missing.In addition, Nick shares the credible speculation that Rowling's weeklong absence from tweeting has been because she is on her Samsara yacht in the South Pacific, circling Bora Bora, believe it or don't. John quizzes Nick, too, about the election in South Wales, Caerphilly to be exact, and the reason the results in that dependably Labour area have the UK buzzing (and why Strike readers might expect the populist party victories will color Strikes 9 and 10).A quick ‘table of contents' for their hasty review, then, followed by links and transcripts! Enjoy — and, yes, have at in the comment threads, please, the locus of Strike fandom conversations.* Ed Shardlow: Gorilla Ryan* Vicky: Boxes and Plush Toys* Sandra Hope: Traditional Symbolism* Justin Clavet: Only Fans Gaffe (Ed Shardlow -- ‘Not Proven' error)* Bora Bora* Justin Clavet: On Manhood* Ed Shardlow: Ickabog Parallel Book Theory* Sandra Hope: Hallmarked Man as Rowling's ‘Greatest Hits' allusion collection* LC - Dorothy Sayers* Kathleen O'Connor -- Alternative Incest* Caerphilly elections -- UK meaning* Ring Composition ProjectPromised Links and Transcripts:* Ed Shardlow's ‘Gorilla Ryan' TheoryThe Ryan the Gorilla theory came to me at the point in the book where Robin has an epiphany following an impulse to look up the meaning of a name. I think this was the Jolanda-Violet realisation, but I thought she'd suddenly realised the full extent of Ryan's dark side, with the significance being the previously noted meaning of his name “Sea King” suggesting a connection between him and Wade King.That theory seemed very flimsy at first, but on further examination it might have some mileage. There are some notable differences between the attack in the Land Rover and the previous ones. Although we imagine the attacker wearing a gorilla mask, there's no mention of it, and in fact it says she can see his face. Also the Land Rover attacker makes no demands that she, “Stop” or, “Leave it”. She hits Wade with the pepper spray, which of course, would be difficult for Ryan to cover up, but she didn't inflict any such injuries on the gorilla attacker. Wade clearly intends to hurt her, whereas the other attacks had no physical violence and look very much like they were just intended to scare her.1) It's hinted that Branfoot knows about Robin's rape, and she says it's on the internet, but we never get any indication that King or Griffiths know about it. Strike and Robin never consider that the attacker might be someone who knows about it because they're close to Robin. That seems like an oversight.2) The gorilla attacker never refers to a specific case. Murphy may be scaring her into quitting the job and getting away from Strike, whereas a suspect would want her to stop investigating their specific case.3) The police don't take the rubber gorilla and dagger for DNA testing. That's pretty strange, unless there's someone on the inside blocking the investigation.There's a bit of an issue with the guy in the green jacket, who presumably Robin can see isn't Ryan when he's on the industrial estate and outside her flat. Presumably that was Wade.So, there would need to be some explanation for how or why Murphy is wearing the same jacket when he accosts her with the ceremonial dagger. But that's not insurmountable.Murphy would have been very surprised to encounter Matthew (sic, he means ‘Martin' -ed.), who he knows from Masham, outside Robin's flat. The narrative very much prompts us to think there's something going on with Murphy, but then we put this down to his work issues and associated relapse, but perhaps that blinds us (and Robin) to another possibility. And if it is the case, then Strike hasn't just let Robin go to dinner with his romantic rival, but she's heading into mortal danger. Were his instincts subconsciously alerting him to the threat? Did he leave it too late to shout, “Brake!” again?Nicola Reed's Objection to ‘Gorilla Ryan' (Sandy Hope, too)Kathleen O'Connor's Cogent Counterpoint to John's Incredulity about No One Noticing How Short Faux-Wright was in the Ramsay Silver footageVicky on the Interpretation of Robin's “Stuffed Toy” DreamBrenna Hill asks ‘Why is the New Ellacott Puppy Named Betty?'Sandra Hope Jumpstarts Conversation about Traditional Symbolism in Hallmarked Man* Masonic Orb Pendant for sale on Etsy ($795)* Jacob's Ladder Mosaic in Masonic Hall, London (Alamy)* The Bohun Swan (‘Chained Swan') (Wikipedia)Justin Clavet: The ‘Only Fans' Gaffe· I commented on the Hogwarts Professor gaffes pillar [Placeholder, ed.] post about the OnlyFans error - that the OnlyFans website was launched in November 2016, but in the book, the murdered Sofia is said to be a prolific OnlyFans poster before her disappearance in June of that same year. The OnlyFans account is only a small point in this large plot, but one that is repeatedly referred to, and Sofia's OnlyFans account is what ultimately brought her to the attention of her killer. For such a meticulous plotter and, as John would say, “OCD” author as Rowling is, does this real-world chronological impossibility give you pause? What other big historical error like this can be found in her books?· Did you notice that the interview with the pornstar occurs in chapter 69? I think Rowling was having a bit of (structural) fun and winking at the observant reader with that one.* Justin Clavet's 3 September ‘Gaffes' posting about ‘Only Fans'The reference to OnlyFans in chapter 33 (p. 269) felt anachronistic to me, as I don't remember ever hearing about the website before the pandemic era. And sure enough, according to Wikipedia (citing a New York Times article), the website didn't launch until November 2016. Therefore, Sofia – who was murdered in June 2016 – could not have been a prolific OnlyFans poster. Sofia's supposed OnlyFans account is referenced several further times throughout the book. Based on data from Google Trends, it seems incredibly unlikely that Strike and Robin would have readily known what OnlyFans was in late 2016/early 2017. So Where is Bora Bora?The Caerphilly 2025 Election: Victories for Left and Right Wing Populist Parties* 2025 Caerphilly Bi-Election (Wikipedia!)* UK's Ruling Labour Suffer Crushing Defeat Against Political Insurgents at Ballot Box (Breitbart)Justin Clavet ‘On Manhood in Hallmarked Man'The biggest thing that struck me in this book was the persistent themes of manhood woven throughout: the responsibilities, relationships, and hardships of men. * The central crime is linked with a secretive fraternal organization. * It opens with the death of Strike's father figure Ted, a “proper man” (p. 38), by whose maxims Strike is newly resolved to live. * We learn that Ted would've murdered (or been murdered by) his father Trevik if he hadn't left home and joined the army (p. 39), just like Strike would have come to blows (or worse) with his step-father Whittaker if he hadn't left home and joined the army. * While he loses the man he called his dad, he has a real meeting with his natural father for the first time. Rokeby shares that, in Strike, he had produced a proper man” (p. 747). * Strike celebrates not having fathered a child (while Robin is distraught in the wake of her own lost child, and devastated that the option to be a mother may no longer be hers to choose).* Richard de Leon says that his brother Danny was made the way he is because of his father's mistreatment. * Strike is bewildered that Danny (who integrates his brother's Christian name into his porn name, Dick de Lion) and Richard could be so close and share so much with each other, contrasting this with his own relationship with Al. * Leda and Rena are both shown to have suffered because of the absence of their more stable brothers. * Strike observes that “men are seen as disposable in certain contexts” (pp. 107f).* Wardle, who is shown to be a caring and dedicated father to his young child, opens up to Strike about his depression and his marriage troubles. * Strike reflects on the shallow friendships he has with other men, and later sees how this kind of friendship can be toxic with the wrong personalities (in Powell, Pratt, and Jones, p. 860). * Strike fears Wardle may be at risk of suicide. Niall is found to have committed suicide after his brother in arms was horrifically executed by Islamist combatants. The public can't be bothered to care about the tragic loss of this man who heroically put his life on the line for his country - preferring instead to lend their attention to the spectacle of another man, Branfoot, who went to extreme lengths to indulge his basest and most perverse desires (p. 873).Like many events in this book, this theme - with characters showing genuine concern and thoughtful consideration of complex men's issues - is a mirror image of one presented in Troubled Blood with the character of Carl Oakden and his cynical men's rights grift.This barely scratches the surface of the notes that I took on this theme, which I saw running deep through the whole book. I wondered if I was just seeing this in the text because of my own perspective as a man, or if it really was there. Indeed, you could find hints of this theme in each of the preceding seven books. But the structural clues left me convinced it was intentional. And when I watched this video (https://robert-galbraith.com/robert-galbraith-discusses-the-case-in-the-hallmarked-man/) the day after finishing the book, there was no doubt.Justin Clavet on the Hallmarked Man Dedication and Rokeby's Gratitude· I connected the book's dedication to Sean and Nadine Harris with Rokeby's statement on p. 748, “Not everyone's got a mate called Leo ‘oo stops ‘em livin' rough” and that he attributes his artistic and financial success to his friend's generosity and charity.Ed Shardlow on The Ickabog as Hallmarked Man's Parallel BookConscious of the links between the first 7 books of the series and the Potter books, and with three books purportedly remaining in the series, I was primed to see a connection between The Hallmarked Man and one of Casual Vacancy, Christmas Pig or the Ickabog. I didn't have any predisposition to it being any of those. Even if Rowling is taking them in some sort of chronological order, there's reason to believe the orders of conception, writing and publishing may differ.At the end of Part One, I thought the Ickabog looked like the best fit based on the fact that the central mystery of who the body in the vault was has a certain similarity to the mystery of the Ickabog itself and whether it was real or a myth. The importance of the truth and the damage done by lies are fundamental to the Ickabog story, and I thought from the start those were major themes in THM.The other correspondences I've spotted:* The police, in various guises, like the royal guard play an important part, largely inept, self-serving, and perpetrators of miscarriages of justice.* The aristocrats - Lord Branfoot, Lady Jenson, Dino Longcaster - lie and deceive to protect their own interests, causing untold damage in the process.* There's terrorism, and terrorism being used to spread fear and division.* Ultimately Rupert and Decima, two sexes but one entity, produce an offspring that may have been defective or corrupted by the state of the world he was born into, but seems to have emerged happy and healthy. Daisy Dovetail having persuaded Rupert the Ickabog that humanity was worth making compromises for.* The main antagonist traps a woman in his house. I thought their names were Esmeralda and Sapphire, but it's Lady Eslanda not Esmeralda… But apparently Eslanda can mean emerald, or VIOLET, or truth… So Eslanda corresponds to both Sapphire and Jolanda!* We visit a feudal state* Ben Liddell – the soldier killed in an incident in a land where there shouldn't have been any military conflict happening and it being covered up by the government* Sandra Hope: The Footprint!Ed Shardlow, I can't wait for your show on the parallels between THM and the Ickabog!!! I just finished rereading both of them and I'm losing my mind! Omg, the footprint: “The Flaw in the Plan (ch32) is that the footprint is hopping (not so much terrifying as ludicrously funny) and Strike noting that the bearer of the footprint in the vault has a limp!! Please let this conversation happen soon!!Sandra Hope: Strike 8 as a ‘Rowling's Greatest Hits Album' of Allusions:Allusions that took my breath away:* Ectopic pregnancy- TB* Schadenfreude- CC* “So many babies”- not just born, but what they're born into- Ickabog borndings* Human trafficking ring- RG* Woman buried in/under concrete- TB* Staged murder involving mutilation- Silkworm* Violent attacks & subsequent PTSD- a Rowling theme in every book, but especially CE & LW* DNA testing & fatherhood- CV, TB* Guys trying to find right time to ask a potential partner a question- GOF lol* Valentine's Day mishaps- CS, TB* Behavior of abandoned mothers-Silkworm (& HBP), specifically Merope, Leonora, Decima (also Leda)* Journalism as a weapon- GOF, OOP, Silkworm, RG* Potential ill usage of mirrors- SSNot a complete list by any means lolLC – Dorothy Sayers Connection?I don't know if there is anything in my seeing parallels between Cormoran and Robin and Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vance (Dorothy Sayers): Peter and Harriet had a very long acquaintance before they finally got engaged, with lots of twists and turns. Peter goes deep undercover in an ad agency in one novel; the feel of it was very similar to Robin going deep undercover in Lethal White. Also, the Sayers novel “Five Red Herrings” also features five men--in this case, five men who could have been the murderer (instead of the victim). Sayers also had very intricate plots that were puzzles--and was a Dante scholar. I believe Jo has mentioned that she admired Sayers. I don't know if these are just interesting parallels that Jo is having fun with or not, but they certainly seem to be more than coincidences. Thanks!Kathleen O'Connor – Alternative Incest Big Twist IdeasI'm impressed by your arguments that we will see some shocking twists – in addition to the shocking twist that Rokeby is actually, in his old age, a good father to his mature son, Cormoran, and not at all the image-focused a*****e we have seen through Strike's eyes up to now. I don't think, however, we will find that Rokeby is not Strike's father. That revelation would dilute Strike's growth in terms of his realizations that he has been mistaken about many things that he has taken for granted in his life. Instead, I think instead we will see a continuation of Robeby's rehabilitation until eventually, like Snape, Rokeby makes some kind of big sacrifice to aid Cormoran or someone/something else important to Cormoran. Also, even though Strike does not physically resemble Rokeby, he does resemble Prudence: * “Seeing them face to face, Robin spotted her partner's resemblance to Jonny Rokeby for the first time. He and his half-sister shared the same defined jaw, the same spacing of the eyes. She wondered – she who had three brothers, all of the same parentage – what it felt like, to make a first acquaintance with a blood relative in your forties. But there was something more there than a faint physical resemblance between brother and sister: they appeared, already, to have established an unspoken understanding.” - The Running Grave And: * “In youth, Strike knew, Rokeby had been exactly as tall as his oldest son, though he was now a little shorter.” - The Hallmarked Man Maybe the big twist and incest plot is connected to either Switch or Whittaker. As we learn from Wikipedia in Career of Evil, Jeff Whittaker never knew who his father was. A strong possibility could be that Patricia Whittaker's own father, Sir Randolph, had gotten her pregnant with Jeff. In that case, keeping that secret – as well as simply keeping the baby away from Leda – could have been the motive for a Whittaker family member to have killed Leda. An even bigger twist might be that Leda did commit suicide, using exactly the method of Krystal Weedon, after she realized that she was Whittaker's sister. Would it be possible for Trevik to have met up with Patricia Whitaker in London and gotten her pregnant? Regardless of the incest angle, I do think we might find that Leda, whose life choices have not allowed her to develop the strength or discipline to face hard truths, may have committed suicide rather than cope with some kind of guilt (maybe she found out what happened to Lucy?). There are multiple examples that foreshadow these possibilities – off the top of my head, there are “naughty boy” wealthy aristos (Freddy Chiswell, Alexander Graves, Will Edensor, Jago Ross) who might parallel Sir Randolph or Jeff Whittaker, and multiple characters who confuse suicide with sacrifice or who simply cannot face what they have done (Cherie Gittins, Krystal Weedon, Yasmin Weatherhead). Rhiannon Winn and Ellie Fancourt both commit suicide because they cannot cope with the shame they feel as a result of others' cruelty.Also, I can think of two points that support your idea that we will find out some bad things about Ted. Number one, the revelations that Dumbledore was extremely flawed are crucial to Harry's story. In fact, I suggest that writing characters who are not merely “gray” but who are simultaneously really good and really bad is a “golden thread” of Rowling's work. And, number two, we hear multiple times that Ted taught Strike, “There's no pride in having what you never worked for” while Rokeby says “I don't wanna die wivvout knowin' ya. You fink I 'aven't got the right to be proud, maybe, but I am. I'm proud of ya.” I don't think it is an accident that Rowling sets up this opposition, and I also think she wants us to admire Rokey's desire to know his son. Get full access to Hogwarts Professor at hogwartsprofessor.substack.com/subscribe

It's been a month since the publication of Hallmarked Man so Nick and John decide to have a ‘Pit Pony Pickleball' match in which they serve and volley Strike 8 examples of Shed tools and Lake springs as fast as they can. After a round of back and forth between Team Lake and Team Shed, they do a flash round of Golden Threads against the clock and then John is given a ‘Final Jeopardy' tie-breaker question about the most controversial perennial plot point in Rowling's work.It's a reverse Kanreki exercise, in other words. In their conversations about each of Rowling's novels, screenplays, play script, text books, and short story collection, Nick and John discussed one Lake spring, a source point of story inspiration from Rowling's life experience and core beliefs, and one Shed tool, her deliberate artistry to craft that inspiration into edifying and engaging story. Here they have a ‘Blitz Chess' match, to switch sporting metaphors, to try and cover as many Lake, Shed, and Thread points with examples from Rowling's latest as possible.Perhaps the most important take-away, though, is the three conclusions about Hallmarked Man they've come to after a month of reading that they think will be the consensus view of Strike 8 after we have Strikes 9 and 10. Make some popcorn, find your score card and a comfortable place to watch and take notes; this is an episode for the ages! (Insert your preferred Wrestle-Mania or like programming promotional hyperbole here.)The Kanreki Index of Rowling's Shed Tools, Lake Springs and Golden ThreadsIn July 2025, Nick Jeffery and I logged a marathon of Kanreki ‘Lake and Shed' video posts at this site in celebration of Rowling's life and work at her 60th birthday. For listeners of this ‘Blitz' Lake and Shed reading of The Hallmarked Man, I repost below an easy-to-access-and-reference single place for readers to find much longer discussion of each Shed tool, Lake spring, and Golden Thread, as well as an introduction to Fourth Generation Rowling Studies hermeneutics. Enjoy!Introduction to the Kanreki Project* The Goal and the Methodology of the Hogwarts Professor Tag-Team Month-Long Birthday Party for Serious Readers of Rowling-GalbraithOn 31 July 2025, Joanne Murray, aka J. K. Rowling and Robert Galbraith, celebrated her 60th birthday. This specific celebration is considered a ‘second birth' in Japan or Kanreki because it is the completion of the oriental astrological cycle. To mark JKR's Kanreki, 還暦, Dr John Granger and Nick Jeffery, both Nipponophiles, read through Rowling's more than twenty published works and reviewed them in light of the author's writing process, her ‘Lake and Shed' metaphor. The ‘Lake' she said in 2019 and 2024 is the source of her inspiration and the ‘Shed' is the alocal place of her intentional artistry, in which garage she transforms the biographical stuff provided by her subconscious mind into the archetypal stories that have made her the most important author of her age.Join us after the jump for the complete compendium of the Harry Potter, Cormoran Strike, Fantastic Beast, ‘Stand Alone' stories, and Golden Thread posts!The Lake and Shed Conversations about the Harry Potter Novels and Extras* Harry Potter and the Philosopher's StoneNick discusses Hogsmeade Comprehensive School, as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry should be properly called, and John explains the ten different genres that Rowling uses in Philosopher's Stone* Harry Potter and the Chamber of SecretsJohn explores the Freudian parallels that Rowling paints into Chamber of Secrets, and Nick talks about her oldest, and probably best friend Sean Harris, the inspiration for Ron Weasley.* Harry Potter and the Prisoner of AzkabanNick shares the London institution of the (k)night bus. Part drunk carriage, part dormitory for the homeless in foul weather, zig-zaging across London between midnight and five in the morning. John shares the Parallel Series Idea (PSI) and compare Prisoner of Azkaban with Robert Galbraith's Career of Evil.* Harry Potter and the Goblet of FireNick talks about the trip Rowling made as a teenager to Cornwall as a young woman in which some Quidditch World Cup camping may have been involved and about her core beliefs about bigotry and prejudice. John reviews Rowling's tagging Goblet as a “crucial” and “pivotal” part of the seven book series and introduces how the ‘story turn' in a ring composition reflects the beginning and end of the story.* Harry Potter and the Order of the PhoenixNick talks about the darkest period in Jo Rowling's life, namely, her return to the UK from Portugal as a single mother in Edinburgh. With Order of the Phoenix in full nigredo mode John talks literary alchemy.* Harry Potter and the Half-Blood PrinceNick reveals the real life model for Severus Snape, Rowling's Chemistry teacher at Wydean Comprehensive, and his remarkable story and melancholy end. John reviews Rowling's version of the so-called ‘Hero's Journey,' how she re-makes it into a life-after-death ‘Harry's Journey' ten step dance we see in every book — except for Half-Blood Prince with its two chapters before we begin at Privet Drive and its ending without a Dumbledore Denouement or trip to King's Cross.* Harry Potter and the Deathly HallowsJohn and Nick discuss the ‘Deathly Hallows' symbol, a triangulated and vertically bisected circle, from both its biographical point of inspiration to its anagogical or sublime depths. Nick reveals Rowling's story about how she was watching the 1975 John Huston film ‘The Man Who Would Be King' the night her mother died and that believes the “Masonic tag” of the story-line was her sub-conscious source for the Deathly Hallows ‘“triangular eye.” John thinks Rowling is really reaching here, akin to her claim that the name ‘Hogwarts' came from a trip to a public garden rather than the Molesworth books. He reviews the five eyes of Deathly Hallows and explains how Rowling embeds both a key to the four-level interpretation of symbols in how characters respond to that image and a model of how we are to interpret and understand her ‘transformed vision' mission as a writer.* Newt Scamander's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find ThemNick and John return to the books at a reader's suggestion in order to give a Lake and Shed reading of the original Newt Scamander textbook, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Nick relays everything you need to know about the genesis of this work and John talks about Rowling's comments to Stephen Fry in a 2022 interview about “archetypal” animals and the importance of understanding them because human beings are story-telling animals. Her discussion of the Lethifold and Niffler are especially challenging and illuminating.* The Tales of Beedle the BardNick and John fulfill a reader request to discuss the book inside Deathly Hallows (one of three actually…), ‘Tales of Beedle the Bard,' a text that Albus Dumbledore leaves Hermione in his will for her to read and apply to the Horcrux Hunt. Nick tells the story of Rowling's creation of six hand-written copies as six-of-a-kind gifts for those who brought Harry Potter to life. John dives into the center story of the five tales, ‘The Hairy Heart,' and tells the meaning of Harry's heart to draw out what Rowling meant by describing Beedle as “the distillation” of the Hogwarts Saga.The Lake and Shed Conversations about the Cormoran Strike Novels* The Cuckoo's CallingThe ‘Lake' point that Nick explores is the identity of the real Deeby Mac, namely, Di Brooks, Rowling's former security director and currently her office manager, a veteran with years of experience in the SIB. John's ‘Shed' point is his pushback against the idea that Calling wasn't really the first book in the series because Rowling has said she had the idea for it after Silkworm and only chose it because the case would make her detective famous.* The SilkwormThe ‘Lake' point that Nick reveals is the probable identity of ‘Jenkins,' the mystery person to whom Strike 2 is dedicated, a revelation consequent to no little detective work (and a very close reading of Louisa May Alcott!). He also discusses some real-life literary infighting in contemporary London that might have been lifted from the pages of Silkworm. John argues that this ur-novel of the series, its point of conception, is Rowling's not especially opaque guide to how to understand a novelist's life and to appreciate their work, in short, her first ‘Lake and Shed' discussion (albeit one embedded in story).* Career of EvilThe ‘Lake' point that Nick explores is Rowling's personal experience of violence against women and her determination to push back against the misogynist age she believes we have been living in for decades. John details the litany of crimes committed against women in the third Strike novel and suggests that in time, when we have the series as a whole, appreciation of the artistry involved will counter-balance the shock first-time readers feel on entering this boucherie.* Lethal WhiteNick discusses the embedded class struggle in the book and its roots in Rowling's background before dropping the bomb of the real world identity of Jack O'Kent and his unhappy family. John is so taken aback by this revelation that Nick has to prompt the Shed portion of the conversation with a fun history of the Sonia Friedman production of Ibsen's Rosmersholm on London's West End, a show starring Thom Burke as Rosmer and which ended just before Bronte Studios beginning the filming of Lethal White.* Troubled Blood (A)Nick discusses Rowling's history with the divinatory art of astrology and the occult resources and reference works she brought into play in writing a novel whose primary embedded text is a murder scene's astrological chart. John talks about the astrological clock structure of twelve houses in which Galbraith tells this remarkable story.* Troubled Blood (B)Nick discusses Rowling's history with the Clerkenwell neighborhood. John talks about Troubled Blood as a double re-telling of The Faerie Queene, Book One, with Strike and Margot as the Redcrosse Knight and Oonaugh and Robin as Una.* Ink Black HeartNick covers the front and the back of making Lake readings of Strike6 without a lot of circumspection and John talks about the eerie feeling he had while reading this book that the author was ‘having a go' at him.* The Running GraveNick confesses to having felt stumped about what to say as his ‘Lake' contribution to the Strike7 discussion — before his epiphany on a long walk with Addie that almost every buoy or pillar in Rowling's metaphorical place of inspiration finds its reflection in the seventh Galbraith mystery. John refuses to go into any detail about the work's ‘wheels within wheels within wheels' ring structure but shares instead the symbolic depth of Mama Mazu's mother of pearl fish pendant.The Lake and Shed Conversations about the Stand-Alone Works* Casual VacancyNick explains all the projects we now know she was working on between 2007 and 2012, the dates of Deathly Hallows and Casual Vacancy's respective publication dates, as well as the degree to which readers can assume that the novel's Simon Price is a fictional portrait of her father, Peter Rowling. John describes the three Gospel parables embedded in Casual Vacancy and why he thinks the book was a project the author was working on before the Hogwarts Saga as well as why it reflects a religious crisis akin to Harry's ‘struggle to believe' in Deathly Hallows.* Harry Potter and the Cursed ChildNick reviews the history of how Rowling was sold on the idea of a Wizarding World stage production via a bit of bait and switch marketing and John reads the review of the Jack Thorn script by Pepperdine English Professor James Thomas. Neither John nor Nick is a big fan of the play but their back and forth about the several controversies connected with it and the question of its being “the eighth Harry Potter story” are still challenging and fun.* The IckabogNick takes the ‘Shed' point and lays out the controlled demolition of her reputation among Group Thinkers on the Left in the lead up to Ickabog's publication and John shares the meaning of ‘The Ickabog's Song,' the embedded text of the tale, as interpreted by Daisy Dovetail (an embedded author?).* The Christmas Pig (A)Nick discusses Rowling's many interview statements about the Things which were lost and how many of them match up with things she has lost; he takes a deep dive into the Blue Bunny episode outside the Gates of the City of the Missed and Rowling's embedding herself and her daughter Mackenzie in the story. John talks about the Blue Bunny and his being “found” or “saved” as an allegory of the human condition written in the Rowling shorthand-symbols for (and obsessions with) love, salvation, and what is real.* The Christmas Pig (B)Nick by the Lake shares the history of the Murray Family and their beanie pig toys as well as a likely source for the defenestration of DP (in Esquire magazine, no less). John talks about the promise and the limits of reading literature through a biographical lens and then explains the anagogical meaning of the Power palace kangaroo court trial of CP and Jack. Both share their reasons for thinking that The Christmas Pig is the perfect distillation of everything Rowling is doing as a writer, to include the relationship of her Lake inspiration to her final Shed product.The Lake and Shed Conversations about the Fantastic Beasts Screenplays* Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find ThemNick does his signature deep dive into the history of the Fantastic Beasts film franchise's origins in Warner Brothers' determination to keep the Wizarding World profit-pillar in their portfolio alive after the last Harry Potter adaptation — and Rowling's equal determination that they not use their copyright privilege to muck up her legacy with an Indiana Jones meets Crocodile Dundee knock-off. John takes the Shed pole in the conversation and shares his months long pursuit of the shooting text screenplay, the actual last screenplay over which Rowling had control.* The Crimes of GrindelwaldOn the Lake side of things, Nick explores the Johnny Depp casting scandal and the lead-up in 2018 to the 2019 Tweet Heard Round the World. John explains that the cut scenes from this dog's mess of a movie point that the shooting script, i.e., what Rowling wrote and approved before David Yates butchered the film in the editing room, was all about Leta Lestrange. More important, John makes the Shed point that every Rowling book features a text of some kind that the characters struggle to understand — and that Crimes of Grindelwald has ten of these, a veritable library of interior texts to interpret.* The Secrets of DumbledoreNick lays out the drama surrounding the third Fantastic Beasts franchise film and his favorite part of the movie (hint: it's about “confusion”). John reveals why Jacob gets a Snakewood wand and one without a core as well as why he thinks Kowalski is the embedded author in this series.The Lake and Shed Conversations about Rowling's Golden Threads and Shed Tools* Chiastic Structure, a.k.a. Ring CompositionJohn travels to his backyard Mongolian ger, the archetypal circular architectural form, to deliver a firehose introduction to the four essentials of ring writing. He uses slides to depict the structure of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as his brief ‘for instance' of how Rowling chooses to organize her stories and he provides a list of links (below!) for further reading.* Survey of Rowling's Golden Threads (A)In this first overview of the Golden Threads, Nick and John go back and fourth with four Threads each. Nick gives at least three examples for Bad Dad, Writing about Writing, Violence against Women, and the Evils of Fleet Street. John responds with three or more 'for instances' of Mother Love, Ghosts, Pregnancy Traps, and the Lost Child with Grieving Steward.* Survey of Rowling's Golden Threads (B)In this second overview of the Golden Threads, Nick and John talk about Kanreki red caps and tackle three Threads each. Nick gives at least three examples for Evil Government, Occult tropes, and the Embedded Author. John responds with three or more 'for instances' of the Search for the Real, Embedded Texts, and Shadow Doppelgangers.* The ‘Lost Child' Golden Thread Oeuvre ReviewFor the day before Rowling's 60th birthday, Nick and John tackle by reader request the never before discussed subject of the Lost Child theme in the author's more than twenty published works. They re-introduce the Golden Threads idea — see their Pregnancy Trap podcast or the two Kanreki series on this subject (links in post) — then they do a deep dive into the crowded waters of Lost Children in her work, and then they go out out on a high-wire to speculate about what specific spring in her Lake subconscious mind is responsible for this recurrent inspiration.* The ‘Lost Child' Golden Thread “So What?” ConversationAs a birthday gift of sorts, Nick and John close off their month-long celebration of Rowling-Galbraith's life and work with a follow-up look at yesterday's review of the ‘Lost Child' Golden Thread that runs through her stories. After cataloging the almost forty ‘for instances' taken from the opera omnia in the penultimate entry in this series, Nick and John ask, “So What?” How does the possibility that Rowling had an induced abortion and is sufficiently unsettled by it that it inspires many even most of her books at least in part make any difference in understanding their artistry and meaning?‘Strike Extended Play' or ‘How a Seven Book Series Can Be Stretched into Ten' Get full access to Hogwarts Professor at hogwartsprofessor.substack.com/subscribe

It's the Day Before Rowling's 60th birthday so Nick and John tackle by reader request the never before discussed subject of the Lost Child theme in the author's more than twenty published works. They re-introduce the Golden Threads idea — see their Pregnancy Trap podcast or the two Kanreki series on this subject (here and here) — then they do a deep dive into the crowded waters of Lost Children in her work, and then they go out out on a high-wire to speculate about what specific spring in her Lake subconscious mind is responsible for this recurrent inspiration. Enjoy!New to the Lake and Shed Kanreki Birthday series? Here's what we're doing:On 31 July 2025, Joanne Murray, aka J. K. Rowling and Robert Galbraith, will be celebrating her 60th birthday. This celebration is considered a ‘second birth' in Japan or Kanreki because it is the completion of the oriental astrological cycle. To mark JKR's Kanreki, Dr John Granger and Nick Jeffery, both Nipponophiles, are reading through Rowling's twenty-one published works and reviewing them in light of the author's writing process, her ‘Lake and Shed' metaphor. The ‘Lake' is the biographical source of her inspiration; the ‘Shed' is the alocal place of her intentional artistry, in which garage she transforms the biographical stuff provided by her subconscious mind into the archetypal stories that have made her the most important author of her age. You can hear Nick and John discuss this process and their birthday project at the first entry in this series of posts: Happy Birthday, JKR! A Lake and Shed Celebration of her Life and Work.Tomorrow? John and Nick pull out all the stops on Rowling's 60th birthday to challenge the status quo of Rowling Studies with a reading of her work in light of a possible inspiration for the ubiquitous ‘Lost Child' Golden Thread in her work. Stay tuned!Links to posts mentioned in today's Lake and Shed conversation for further reading:'Pregnancy Traps' in the Works of J. K. Rowling: A Rowling Studies Podcast* The Golden Thread of Coercive Love that Runs Through Everything She has Written* The seven Hogwarts Professor weblog posts that John and Nick reference in that conversation can be found here:* Rowling Pregnancy Traps: Merope Gaunt* Rowling Pregnancy Traps: Casual Vacancy's Krystal Weedon, Kay Bawden* Rowling's Pregnancy Traps: Bellatrix Lestrange and the Cursed Child Delphini* Rowling's Pregnancy Traps: Leda Strike* Rowling's Pregnancy Traps: Four Strikes* Rowling's Pregnancy Traps: Last Strikes* Rowling's Pregnancy Traps: Fantastic Beasts, The Ickabog, The Christmas PigRowling's Real Reason for Going to Portugal in 1991?Where was Rowling for her 10th, 20th, 30th, 40th, and 50th birthdays?Strike Fans!* Emily Pirbright* Josh Blay* Edie Ledwell* Alexander Graves* Cherie Gittins (Carine Makepeace) Get full access to Hogwarts Professor at hogwartsprofessor.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome back! John and Nick, having finished their Lake and Shed review of the seven Harry Potter novels, the first seven Strike-Ellacott adventures, the three Fantastic Beasts screenplays, and the three stand-alone stories Cursed Child, Casual Vacancy, and Christmas Pig, are open to suggestions about how to fill the remaining week of daily conversations until Rowling's birthday on July 31st. The first request we received was one asking for more on the ‘Twelve Golden Threads' in the work of J. K. Rowling, the plot points and story features that run through everything she writes.In this first overview of the Golden Threads, Nick and John go back and fourth with four Threads each. Nick gives at least three examples for Bad Dad, Writing about Writing, Violence against Women, and the Evils of Fleet Street. John responds with three or more 'for instances' of Mother Love, Ghosts, Pregnancy Traps, and the Lost Child with Grieving Steward. Enjoy!New to the Lake and Shed Kanreki Birthday series? Here's what we're doing:On 31 July 2025, Joanne Murray, aka J. K. Rowling and Robert Galbraith, will be celebrating her 60th birthday. This celebration is considered a ‘second birth' in Japan or Kanreki because it is the completion of the oriental astrological cycle. To mark JKR's Kanreki, Dr John Granger and Nick Jeffery, both Nipponophiles, are reading through Rowling's twenty-one published works and reviewing them in light of the author's writing process, her ‘Lake and Shed' metaphor. The ‘Lake' is the biographical source of her inspiration; the ‘Shed' is the alocal place of her intentional artistry, in which garage she transforms the biographical stuff provided by her subconscious mind into the archetypal stories that have made her the most important author of her age. You can hear Nick and John discuss this process and their birthday project at the first entry in this series of posts: Happy Birthday, JKR! A Lake and Shed Celebration of her Life and Work.Tomorrow? John and Nick talk about the six remaining Golden Threads, namely, Bad Government, Occult Tokens, the Search for the Real, Embedded Texts, the Embedded Author, and Shadow Doppelgangers. Stay tuned!Links to posts mentioned in today's Lake and Shed conversation for further reading:'Pregnancy Traps' in the Works of J. K. Rowling: A Rowling Studies Podcast* The Golden Thread of Coercive Love that Runs Through Everything She has WrittenThe seven Hogwarts Professor weblog posts that John and Nick reference in that conversation can be found here:Rowling Pregnancy Traps: Merope GauntRowling Pregnancy Traps: Casual Vacancy's Krystal Weedon, Kay BawdenRowling's Pregnancy Traps: Bellatrix Lestrange and the Cursed Child DelphiniRowling's Pregnancy Traps: Leda StrikeRowling's Pregnancy Traps: Four StrikesRowling's Pregnancy Traps: Last StrikesRowling's Pregnancy Traps: Fantastic Beasts, The Ickabog, The Christmas Pig Get full access to Hogwarts Professor at hogwartsprofessor.substack.com/subscribe

Today's Lake and Shed framed conversation is about Rowling's remarkable “fairy-tale” and the history and meaning of its release during the “pandemic” hysteria of 2020. The Ickabog, along with Casual Vacancy and Ink Black Heart, is not only one of Rowling's most autobiographical works, but, with the Lake and Shed interview, the Solve et Coagula tattoo, her RFK Award speech, and the Trans Tweet Heard Round the World, a key to her self-understanding in the critical year 2019-2020. Nick takes the ‘Shed' point and lays out the controlled demolition of her reputation among Group Thinkers on the Left in the lead up to Ickabog's publication and John shares the meaning of ‘The Ickabog's Song,' the embedded text of the tale, as interpreted by Daisy Dovetail (an embedded author?).New to the Lake and Shed Kanreki Birthday series? Here's what we're doing:On 31 July 2025, Joanne Murray, aka J. K. Rowling and Robert Galbraith, will be celebrating her 60th birthday. This celebration is considered a ‘second birth' in Japan or Kanreki because it is the completion of the oriental astrological cycle. To mark JKR's Kanreki, Dr John Granger and Nick Jeffery, both Nipponophiles, are reading through Rowling's twenty-one published works and reviewing them in light of the author's writing process, her ‘Lake and Shed' metaphor. The ‘Lake' is the biographical source of her inspiration; the ‘Shed' is the alocal place of her intentional artistry, in which garage she transforms the biographical stuff provided by her subconscious mind into the archetypal stories that have made her the most important author of her age. You can hear Nick and John discuss this process and their birthday project at the first entry in this series of posts: Happy Birthday, JKR! A Lake and Shed Celebration of her Life and Work.Tomorrow? Perhaps the best single book by Rowling-Galbraith, Troubled Blood. Nick will be sharing Rowling's skills in and beliefs about astrology which plays an outsised role in the fifth Strike novel. John talks about the “Best Mate” scene in the Agency office and its important mythological backdrop. Stay tuned!Links to posts mentioned in today's Lake and Shed conversation for further reading:Nick Jeffery: Beginning at the Beginning A History of ‘Ickabog' and Christmas PigInk Black Heart and Deathly Hallows: The Heart is Not About Emotions and Affection but the Human Spiritual CenterWeek Seven of the Ickabog! Hurrah!* Last Chapters Comment‘The Song of the Ickabog' — Three NotesRowling Writes Trans Views Tell All Post; Fandom Divides ‘Team Jo,' ‘Team Trans'Reading, Writing, Rowling 44: Ickabog! John Granger's Last MuggleNet PodcastRowling's Pregnancy Traps: Fantastic Beasts, The Ickabog, The Christmas PigRowling Tweets Potter Fandom, IckabogThe Ickabog: Rowling Facebook EventGuest Post: Ickabog Notes & PredictionsThe Ickabog: JKR's Political Fairy TaleWas 2020 A Bad Year for J. K. Rowling? Nominated for 3 British Book AwardsGroves: The Rowling-Norton InterviewThe Names of “The Ickabog” – Part 1 (Beatrice GrovesThe Names of “The Ickabog” – Part 2: Ichabod (Beatrice Groves) Get full access to Hogwarts Professor at hogwartsprofessor.substack.com/subscribe

Nick and John take a Lake and Shed long look at the second screenplay for the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them film series. On the Lake side of things, Nick explores the Johnny Depp casting scandal and the lead-up in 2018 to the 2019 Tweet Heard Round the World. John explains that the cut scenes from this dog's mess of a movie point that the shooting script, i.e., what Rowling wrote and approved before David Yates butchered the film in the editing room, was all about Leta Lestrange. More important, John makes the Shed point that every Rowling book features a text of some kind that the characters struggle to understand — and that Crimes of Grindelwald has ten of these, a veritable library of interior texts to interpret.New to the Lake and Shed Kanreki Birthday series? Here's what we're doing:On 31 July 2025, Joanne Murray, aka J. K. Rowling and Robert Galbraith, will be celebrating her 60th birthday. This celebration is considered a ‘second birth' in Japan or Kanreki because it is the completion of the oriental astrological cycle. To mark JKR's Kanreki, Dr John Granger and Nick Jeffery, both Nipponophiles, are reading through Rowling's twenty-one published works and reviewing them in light of the author's writing process, her ‘Lake and Shed' metaphor. The ‘Lake' is the biographical source of her inspiration; the ‘Shed' is the alocal place of her intentional artistry, in which garage she transforms the biographical stuff provided by her subconscious mind into the archetypal stories that have made her the most important author of her age. You can hear Nick and John discuss this process and their birthday project at the first entry in this series of posts: Happy Birthday, JKR! A Lake and Shed Celebration of her Life and Work.Tomorrow? We enter 2020, Rowling's annus horribilis, with the simultaneous nightmares of the COVID hysteria and lockdowns coupled with the Trans Wars, in which all thinking people (to include Rowling) were dismissed — or, in the prevalent jargon of those years, “cancelled” — as hateful, hurtful, even murderous “transphobes.” Nick explains the fascinating received history of The Ickabog manuscript and John builds on Nick's caveats and misgivings with why he thinks the textus receptus narrative is so much hogwash. John shares his favorite scene in the book, one from ‘Week Six,' in which Daisy talks with the Monster about her heart. Stay tuned!Links to posts mentioned in today's Lake and Shed conversation for further reading:The Crimes of Grindelwald ‘Pillar Post' at HogwartsProfessor.com (more than 50 links to posts!) Get full access to Hogwarts Professor at hogwartsprofessor.substack.com/subscribe

Dr. John Granger and Nick Jeffery explore the theme of pregnancy traps and coercive love as a golden thread running through all the published works of J. K. Rowling. After detailing the number and importance of this plot point in everything from the Harry Potter series to the latest Cormoran Strike novel — even the Christmas Pig and The Ickabog! — John and Nick explore the possibilities of what this means for understanding Rowling's artistry and meaning from a ‘Lake and Shed' perspective.The seven Hogwarts Professor weblog posts that John and Nick reference in their conversation can be found here:Rowling Pregnancy Traps: Merope GauntRowling Pregnancy Traps: Casual Vacancy's Krystal Weedon, Kay BawdenRowling's Pregnancy Traps: Bellatrix Lestrange and the Cursed Child DelphiniRowling's Pregnancy Traps: Leda StrikeRowling's Pregnancy Traps: Four StrikesRowling's Pregnancy Traps: Last StrikesRowling's Pregnancy Traps: Fantastic Beasts, The Ickabog, The Christmas Pig Get full access to Hogwarts Professor at hogwartsprofessor.substack.com/subscribe

Get a preview of the latest Harry Potter academic anthology, featuring a diverse array of essays on the series. We're joined by Dr. Lana Whited (Ferrum College), editor of The Ivory Tower and Harry Potter (University of Missouri Press, 2002), one of the first anthologies focused on the series, and now the second volume, The Ivory Tower, Harry Potter, and Beyond (University of Missouri Press, 2024). Quite a bit of Potter scholarship is contained in anthologies devoted entirely to the series, possibly due in part to the historical difficulty of getting Potter studies articles accepted by academic journals, but these anthologies have helped to develop a community around the subject. The first volume came out when there were only four books; by the time of the second, Lana was able to seek out chapters not only on the full series but also Fantastic Beasts and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child as well as The Casual Vacancy, the Cormoran Strike books, and even The Ickabog. The new anthology, coming over 20 years after the first, offers something of a retrospective on how far Potter studies has come. While early scholarship was mostly written by literary scholars, the field has grown to include religious, psychological, political, and scientific perspectives. Podcasts have also contributed a great deal to discourse. Of course, the author's changing reputation has had a major impact. Emily, Katy, and Lana discuss their respective chapters, "Parenting Models in the Potter Saga and Cursed Child: Human and Divine," "Secrecy and Segregation in the Wizarding World's Hidden Histories," and "The Ickabog, Monsters, and Monstrosity," offering a sample of the range of topics covered.

14:38 - A Long Way To A Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers15:36 - Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel17:25 - City by Clifford D. Simack , David W. Wixon19:17 - All Systems Red by Martha Wells21:14 - City Of Bones by Martha Wells / City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare *** ( Not Sarah J. Maas, so sorry )21:31 - Death Of The Necromancer by Martha Wells21:51 - The Martian by Andy Weir22:01 - Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir22:21 - The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien22:42 - The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan24:00 - The Lord Of The Rings TRilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien26:15 - A Quiet Life In The Country by T. E. Kinsey36:44 - The Ask And The Answer by Patrick Ness40:07 - Monsters Of Men by Patrick Ness42:27 - The Convenient Wife by Betty Neels44:49 - The 12 Dates Of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss48:21 - The Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling49:48 - The Ickabog by J. K. Rowling50:34 - A Winter's Promise by Christelle Dabos50:53 - Misery by Stephen King 54:15 - Age Of Myth by Michael J. Sullivan / Farilane by Michael J. Sullivan / Esrahaddon by Michael J. SullivanSupport the showBe sure to keep yourself Happily Booked! We are Amazon Affiliates, Any link you find available above will redirect you to Amazon. We earn from qualifying purchases with these links. Becky's Homestead Etsy Page: bobwhitehomestead.etsyInstagram/ TikTok - happilybookedpodcastFacebook - Happily Booked PodcastLikewise - BrookeBatesHappilyBookedGoodreads - Brooke Lynn Bates Storygraph - brookebatesratesbooks / magbeck2011 THE Sideways Sheriff - Permanent Sponsor Insta/ TikTok - Sideways_sheriffFacebook - Sideways SheriffYoutube - Sideways Sheriff

Return with us to the realm of refreshment in the wizarding world! Following up on Episode 29, Katy and Emily continue our conversation about the food foundations of Harry's magical universe, joined by guests Louise Freeman and Emma Nicholson. Australian Emma shares her different interpretation of wizarding foods based on her cultural heritage, including her expectations about butterbeer (why so sweet, America?). We ponder whether wizard butterbeer might have alcoholic content and consider the role of alcoholic beverages in the series, including firewhiskey and (perhaps) Felix Felicis. On the subject of beverages, we explore the cultural and symbolic significance of tea, tea shops, and tea leaf reading, as well as pumpkin juice. Emma also shares with us her thoughts on foods associated with Norse mythology, like mead, and how this opens up associations between characters and specific Norse gods (Dumbledore and Odin, Hagrid and Thor). She points out connections between food abundance and Norse myths, and we wonder, where do house-elves shop for food? Sweets not only seem to provide an entrée into wizarding society (“Happee Birthdae Harry”), but also signal rebellion in the series (“Have a biscuit, Potter”). Potter fans make a lot of wizard food, and Emily asks, “Why do we want to eat these books?” Louise points out that the theme of food is central to the Potterverse, and also the Cormoran Strike series and The Ickabog. We Muggles have attempted to replicate the drinks, sweets, and staple foods of the wizarding world, and you'll hear about ones we've tried and how we rate them. Food has an immersive quality that engages all the senses and allows us to feel more a part of this magical realm, but the characters' reactions, and the foods' dangerous and edgy qualities, also make us want to join in the fun. In our special segment we visit the Hogwarts kitchens to share Emma's recipe for Cockroach Clusters (revolting and delicious!) and Louise's experiment in competing butterbeers. Give these a try and let us know what you think!

Je reçois aujourd'hui Clémentine Beauvais, enseignante-chercheuse à l'université de York (Angleterre) et autrice et traductrice de littérature jeunesse. Elle a notamment écrit Les Petites Reines (2015), récompensé de 5 prix de littérature jeunesse, ou Songe à la douceur (2016), roman en vers adapté d'Eugène Onéguine de Pouchkine, et traduit The Ickabog de JK Rowling, Dans le bleu de Joyce Carol Oates ou les romans en vers de Sarah Crossan.  Nous avons parlé de littérature jeunesse, de l'enseignement de la traduction et des liens entre son activité d'autrice et de traductrice. Hébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

For the second part of our discussion about the 2022 Harry Potter Academic Conference, we discuss current themes in Potter scholarship, including the special section on the transgender community. Katy and Emily continue their conversation with conference presenters and attendees Laurie Beckoff, Lauren Camacci, Louise Freeman, and Lana Whited. After talking about favorite presentations in the first half, we turn to overall themes we noticed throughout the conference. Lana sees difference and reaction to it as a major topic, reflected in the interdisciplinary nature of the conference, which included political, sociological, and psychological approaches. Social justice and critical reading have been at the forefront of Potter studies in recent years, featured in Christine Schott's talk on house-elves and Julye Bidmead and Emma Brandel's presentation on creating a critical engagement guide to reading the series. Lana has observed a lack of attention paid to J.K. Rowling's works for both adults (Cormoran Strike) and children (The Christmas Pig, The Ickabog) outside the wizarding world. We debate what might account for the relatively low scholarly interest, including Rowling's controversial comments, genre, quality, generational appeal, and overall popularity. Rowling's remarks about transgender people have been a major point of discussion at the last few conferences, to the point that the organizers decided that the topic called for a special section. Our guests discuss Louise's scientific approach to transgender identity, using the “transabled” characters who wish to amputate healthy limbs in the Strike books as a point of reference to view it as a neurological phenomenon. Other subjects included trans “spite fic,” or Harry Potter fanfiction focused on transgender characters to spite Rowling (Ben Cromwell); “half-blood fans,” or queer fans who face judgment from their fellows for remaining in the fandom (Brent Satterly); and how to read the scene in which the boggart that takes Snape's form is forced into a woman's clothing (Lorrie Kim). This rich discourse is part of why we all keep returning to Chestnut Hill, and we look forward to more excellent conferences.

We have 3 segments in this episode:1. Tried and Tested: I recently went to The Mountain Shadows resort in Wayanad, Kerala to celebrate my mom's birthday (https://www.mountainshadows.in/). Located in the Banasura Hills, the eco-friendly resort has stunning views. I also did a special interview with Mr. Manoj, the General Manager of the property who told me more some unique practices being followed at the resort. 2. The BookWorm: Ms. JK Rowling is a well known author of the Harry Potter series of books. But a little unknown fact about her recent book, The Ickabog is that the chapters were published online for free during the lockdown in 2020 for children to read. They could also contribute illustrations for each of the chapters. (https://stories.jkrowling.com/en-us/theickabog/)3. 5 Deep Breaths- Waiting is not easy. Especially if it is waiting for someone. But being impatient in these situations is not good for us or the person we are dealing with. In this episode, we will discuss some simple tips to develop some patience while dealing with people.Some photos from The Mountain Shadows are available on the Instagram/Twitter profile @hellokidacity. To write to me, please send an email to hello@kidacity.club. All my episodes are also available on my website www.kidacity.club

This is a preview of a bonus episode. To listen to the full episode, listen on Patreon at : www.patreon.com/10kpostspodcast. -------- This week we're rejoined by friend of the show Sophie (@sophie_frm_mars) to once again revisit an old episode of the show. We go back in our Tenet time machines to the lockdown days of 2020, and the first instances in which JK Rowling went full 'mask off' with the gender stuff. We talk about the weird politics of the Ickabog, the Death of the Author, JK Rowling's post-Harry Potter need to control every aspect of the franchise, and crucially, how she gave (some) of this up in order to keep on TERF posting. Finally, we ask - will JK Rowling go "full Glinner" ? Seems unlikely for now, but if 'gender critical' groups keep demanding more of her, it might not be so inconceivable.... Subscribe to Sophie's Youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/SophiefromMars Support Sophie's work here: https://t.co/Jg9OvNcxez Ten Thousand Posts is a show about how everything is posting. It's hosted by Hussein (@HKesvani), Phoebe (@PRHRoy) and produced by Devon (@Devon_onEarth).

chapter 5 daisy dovetail and chapter 6 the fight in the coutyard --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/isabelle397/message

chapter 4 the quiet house hope you enjoy --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/isabelle397/message

chapter 3 the dead seamstress hope you enjoy!!! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/isabelle397/message

chapter 2 hope you enjoy!!! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/isabelle397/message

想聽懂全英文新聞嗎？賓狗要開課啦！ https://forms.gle/j9JS6pb3Tm5wCXP29 填寫上面的問卷，就可以收到 CNN 5 Things 英聽範例講義，再送 $150 優惠碼唷 P.S. 還可以搶先看賓狗的教學影片唷，趕快來填寫

Okay, not really! But for tonight it's just Johnny and Andy, talking about just the Fresh Points. We have some new Field Notes, new Blackwings, a new Squire, and other cool things, including one (or two) last orders from our friends at CW Pencil Enterprise.Show Notes & Links:Erasable PatreonWoodclinched on EtsyPencil Revolution on EtsyField Notes HarvestBlackwing 651Ted LassoNo Time to DieIn Praise of WalkingThe IckabogUnforgottenCW Pencils | Commemorative CWPE Advertising PencilCW Pencils | 2021 Shop Sticker by Meredith MiotkeCW Pencils | Grand Finale Emilio Braga A5 notebookCW Pencils | Natural Baseball Scoring PencilYour HostsJohnny  GamberPencil Revolution@pencilutionAndy WelfleWoodclinched@awelfleTim Wasem@TimWasem

Chapter 2 of the ICKABOG

In this first story-focused bonus episode, Sophie discusses "The Ickabog" by J. K. Rowling. "The Ickabog" is a deeply profound fairy tale that points to the power of false narratives (PR gone wrong!) and their far-reaching and devastating consequences. But, even as the story dives into the very depths of evil, it provides a hopeful answer in the end. Just like in the book of Proverbs, the wicked fall into the very traps that they set for others. A 10/10 good book recommendation. Music is "Where We Meet" by CLOUDLAND.

We have a exclusive reading of Chapter 1 of the Ickabog, taken from the audiobook edition of The Ickabog, produced by Audible Studios, as well as an interview with The World Book Day Song rapper MC Grammar and an exclusive reading of Opie Jones Talks to Animal from Nat Luurtsema! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Drunk Guys now have a Patreon! If you enjoy the show, send us beer money over at patreon.com/drunkguysbookclub! The Drunk Guys get bogged down by beer this week when they discuss The Ickabog by JK Rowling. They try some real monsters, including: Bite Size by Modist Brewing, Creatures of

This week the NewzKidz discuss the latest news on the Coronavirus pandemic; new scientific evidence that confirms an asteroid crash resulted in the end of the dinousars; the illegal selling of parts of the Amazon Rainforest on social media; and NewzKidz Rose reviews J.K. Rowling's latest children's book, The Ickabog.

"Et wor eemol..." Sou fänkt eist Buch vun dëser Woch un. "Der Ickabog" ass e Mäerchen aus der Fieder vun der J.K.Rowling, eng Geschicht déi si scho viru Joren fir hir eege Kanner geschriwwen huet, an déi si an der Pandemie mat Kanner op der ganzer Welt wollt deelen. D'Bea Kneip huet sech vum Ickabog verzaubere gelooss.

This week's podcast review comes from this blog review of The Ickabog by J.K. Rowling. 

Eltern sein im Lockdown – Das bedeutet, dass wir in den meisten Fällen kreativ werden müssen, um unsere Kinder sinnvoll zu beschäftigen. Dazu haben wir aber nicht immer Zeit und machmal auch keine Lust. Was unsere Kinder aber mit Hingabe machen, ist Hörbücher zu hören. Unsere Kinder sind zwischen 6 und 13 Jahre alt und sind schon in die ein oder andere Geschichte mit ihren Kopfhörern abgetaucht. Jetzt brauchen sie (und wir) unbedingt Nachschub! Also hier ist unser Deal: Wir haben unsere Empfehlungen für Deine Kids in dieser Folge aufgenommen. Dafür möchten wir von Dir gerne wissen, was Deine Kinder gerne hören. Hört doch mal rein!

Hey Geeks, welcome to 2021 where things will get better, right? Maybe not, but we're here to help you get through it regardless. This week we talked about alternate versions of our names, The Ickabog, Ready Player Two, Immortals Fenyx Rising, Pixar's Soul, Walmart is getting too much credit, and Wonder Woman 84.      Close: "Delirious" by Prince

Gracias por acompañarme en este viaje de libros, cuentos y entrevistas. Con este último episodio se cierra el capítulo de una primer temporada. Gracias a las personas que donaron a este proyecto durante 2020. Se viene un nuevo podcast musical para 2021 así que este viaje sonoro no acaba aquí. Podrán acompañarme desde enero de 2021. A todas las personas que quieran apoyar el otro podcast así como al periodismo independiente pueden hacerlo en Patreon: www.patreon.com/camilopetrucci o a mi cuenta oficial de PayPal: www.paypal.com/paypalme/camilopetrucci. Se viene un podcast con mucha información musical así que muy pronto estaré de vuelta con ustedes. Gracias por creer.

La Tertulia Infantil con María (11), Sebastián (10)y Paula (8), hermanos, admiradores de los libros de Harry Potter y cuyos dibujos fueron seleccionados en la competencia de ilustración para la edición en papel de El Ickabog, el nuevo libro de JK Rowling.

L'Ickabog è l'ultimo successo internazionale nonché nuova creatura della madre della saga di Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling. “Era tutto perfetto nel regno di Cornucopia governato dal re Fred il Senza Paura, a parte le Paludi nebbiose del Nord, dove si narra vivesse il terribile mostro mangiatore di pecore e bambini Ickabog.” Ogni persona di buon senso sapeva che l'Ickabog era solo una leggenda inventata per spaventare i bambini. Ma le leggende sono strane e a volte assumono una vita propria. Letto dall'attrice Jasmine Trinca.

The Ickabog : By - J K Rowling - Novel Review Author J.K. Rowling returns to children's literature for the first time in more than a decade. Between Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and The Ickabog, Rowling has written several novels for adults under a pen name. This latest release shows how much the world of children's literature could benefit from her return to it. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/gobookmart-review/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gobookmart-review/support

Mª Ángeles Paniagua, habla con Jorge Tamargo de nueva novela El Apartadero. Muriel Ortega jovencísima ilustradora y ganadora del certamen Ickabog convocado por J.K Rowling vine de la mano de Sonsoles Yañez, también ilustradora. Por teléfono Daniel Monero nos habla de Volar a casa, y Chuchi Soto de su vino La Mira. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/radio-4g-valladolid/message

Témoignage de Richard Bousquet, ce père qui se bat pour la santé mentale; entrevue avec la traductrice Clémentine Beauvais à propos de son travail sur l’Ickabog de l’autrice J. K. Rowling; le duo international avec Michèle Ouimet et Agnès Gruda sur des personnalités dont l’actualité a été éclipsée par les nouvelles du monde; entretien avec l’écrivain Éric Dupont pour son livre Nos oiseaux; et le trio santé avec Denis Fortier, la Dre Chantal Vallée et Nicolas Chevrier.

Deathly Hallows chapter 25. With both our lives making this week extremely busy, we almost didn't make it together to record this week--but here we are, because the news stops for no one! We discuss all of the massive Fantastic Beasts news that came out right after last week's episode was in the can, from Johnny Depp's exit from the franchise to JK Rowling's absence from easy US election-related content to the release of The Ickabog and more. Then we dive into... maybe the worst chapter in the series? Certainly one of the most galling. Buckle up, because if you thought the goblin stuff in previous books felt uncomfortable those moments have nothing on the absolute pile of antisemitic content rolled up into Griphook's character. Intentional? Probably not, but does it matter? (Incidentally if this doesn't sound fun, skip 1:22:00ish to 1:41:00ish) We also see the return of Theatrical Lupin, and the slow depressing march of every woman in the series to their final form as Molly Weasley. Finally, we speculate about how the third Fantastic Beasts film will handle its actor change!

Twelve-year-old Isla Besha can pick up a copy of J.K. Rowling's new book, The Ickabog, open it to a certain page, and find an illustration she had drawn on a whim while looking for something to do during the pandemic lockdown. The middle school student in East Greenbush was one of a handful of children in North America chosen to illustrate Rowling's book, culled from more than 40,000 submissions. The Times Union's Kristi Gustafson Barlette had a chance to chat with Isla, and learn about her art. Also on this episode, health reporter Bethany Bump discusses the Capital Region's record-breaking COVID spike, and education reporter Rachel Silberstein talks to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute President Shirley Ann Jackson about the school's successful algorithm to fight against the coronavirus on campus.

When Covid hit JK Rowling set about completing the story of 'The Ickabog'. She invited children from around the world to illustrate the story for the finished book. Out of thousands of entries, 9-year-old Lottie was one the chosen few to have her artwork selected. She joined Ryan on the line with mum Sarah to tell him all about her love of stories.

When Covid hit JK Rowling set about completing the story of 'The Ickabog'. She invited children from around the world to illustrate the story for the finished book. Out of thousands of entries, 9-year-old Lottie was one the chosen few to have her artwork selected. She joined Ryan on the line with mum Sarah to tell him all about her love of stories.

Das Märchen „Der Ickabog“ hat J.K. Rowling schon vor über zehn Jahren als Gute-Nacht-Geschichte für ihre Kinder geschrieben. Das Manuskript landete danach erst mal auf dem Dachboden. Nun erscheint das Märchen, passend zum zweiten Lockdown, in der deutschen Übersetzung mit den Illustrationen von Kindern, die in einem Malwettbewerb für dieses Buch gewonnen haben.

Ein neues Buch von J.K. Rowling - vorgestellt auf NDR Kultur.

Harry-Potter-Autorin J.K. Rowling hat ein Märchen über einen eitlen, blonden König geschrieben, das sie jetzt kostenlos im Netz veröffentlicht hat. Heute erscheint es zeitgleich mit der englischen Originalausgabe. Die Geschichte wurde von Friedrich Pflüger ins Deutsche übersetzt und von Kindern aus dem gesamten deutschsprachigen Raum illustriert. Unsere weiteren Themen: "Ich glaube, ich hatte es schon": Michael Mittermeier veröffentlicht "Corona-Chroniken" / ARD-Jugendmedientag: Meinungsvielfalt statt Hate Speech - im Gespräch mit Dr. Bernt Gebauer vom Hessischen Kultusministerium / Nachruf auf die Münchner Verlegerin Anneliese Friedmann

Episode 31 - November 2020 - This meeting we're the changing architecture of Hogwarts castle throughout the films! Also in this episode: Screen time, Quidditch towns, Hogwarts Express photobomb, The Ickabog, and more! | SPEWpod.UK | Theme by Joan Burr | Send us some Owl Mail | spewcast@gmail.com | 407-706-SPEW | 407-706-(7739) | or go here: https://anchor.fm/spew/message | Check out our Instagram and Facebook filters filters.SPEWpod.uk | Facebook.com/SPEWcast | Twitter @Spectrumpeople | Instagram @SPEWpod | TikTok @SPEWcast | anchor.fm/spew --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/spew/support

Ickabog is something you should never miss. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/booksintamil/support

Far from an offhand or casually constructed story, The Ickabog intentionally continues many of the themes and structures of the Harry Potter books in a fairy tale genre.  In this month’s episode, Katy and John talk with Harry Potter scholars John Pazdziora (University of Tokyo-Komaba) and Lana Whited (Ferrum College) about our first analyses of The Ickabog, which was released in installments from June to July 2020. The slow release has allowed fans of Harry Potter once again the delights of speculating about what will happen next, and we have captured that spirit in our conversation recorded after Chapter 51 was posted.  Lana Whited points out the connections with "The Emperor’s New Clothes," while John Pazdziora shows how they fit within the French conte tradition that combined fairy tales with social criticism. Following both those traditions, The Ickabog lures the reader into a politically sharp and often violent tale. We discuss what the fairy tale theories of Bruno Bettelheim tell us about how children process gruesome stories. The third-person omniscient, even parental, voice of the narrator serves a purpose in talking readers through the difficult experiences of the Cornucopians.  Other literary allusions abound. The name “Beamish” references “The Jabberwocky”; the Ickabog reminds of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” The Ickabog’s cave recalls Odysseus’s encounter with the Cyclops, but also Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, where the stories that compose reality are revealed to be false. We consider whether The Reluctant Dragon and The BFG might contains clues for us about the Ickabog’s true nature. We also use Freudian psychoanalysis to interpret the story in surprising ways. The Ickabog’s name allows several possible literary and linguistic interpretations. The Ickabog is a story about stories: why we tell them, how they influence us, and how our interpretations may change with our experience of the world.  There are similarities between this story and both Harry Potter and the Cormoran Strike series. From common thematic elements to alchemical symbolism and once again a chiastic, turtleback structure for the tale, we consider how parallels to these other works reveal the meaning of The Ickabog. We then use that knowledge to make predictions for its end. How well did we predict it? Listen in and see what you think! 

The Ickabog is a new book released by J.K Rowling on her website for free due to the global pandemic. The Ickabog is a children’s fantasy novel which will captivate the readers right from the very beginning and help them learn a lot of things with this story. BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT https://nerdybookarazzi.wordpress.com/2020/06/01/the-ickabog-by-j-k-rowling/ BOOK REVIEW https://nerdybookarazzi.wordpress.com/2020/07/13/the-ickabog-by-j-k-rowling-book-review/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

The Ickabog s'est achevé cette semaine ! On discute du dénouement de ce conte qui nous a tenu en haleine pendant plusieurs semaines et du destin des différents personnages.

The Ickabog s'est achevé cette semaine ! On discute du dénouement de ce conte qui nous a tenu en haleine pendant plusieurs semaines et du destin des différents personnages.

Avant dernier épisode pour The Ickabog Club !La fin du conte s'approche ; nos pronostics pour le dénouement !

Avant dernier épisode pour The Ickabog Club ! La fin du conte s'approche ; nos pronostics pour le dénouement !