NEW YORK: J.K. Rowling is back, and writing for adults.
The author of the mega-selling "Harry Potter" series has an agreement with Little, Brown in the United States and Britain to publish her first novel for grownups. The title, release date and details about the novel, long rumoured, were not announced on Thursday. Her seventh and final Potter story came out in 2007.
Rowling's Potter books, which broke sales records around the world, were published by Bloomsbury in Britain and Scholastic in the US. Rowling will now share the same publisher with Stephenie Meyer, whose "Twilight" series at least partially filled the gap opened by the conclusion of the Potter stories.
"Although I've enjoyed writing it every bit as much, my next book will be very different to the Harry Potter series, which has been published so brilliantly by Bloomsbury and my other publishers around the world," Rowling said in a statement released by Little, Brown.
"The freedom to explore new territory is a gift that Harry's success has brought me, and with that new territory it seemed a logical progression to have a new publisher. I am delighted to have a second publishing home in Little, Brown, and a publishing team that will be a great partner in this new phase of my writing life."
Rowling's agent, Neil Blair, would not disclose financial details of the deal but said on Thursday there had been no auction.
"As her new book is for a different audience, and marks a new literary direction for her, it made sense to separate the two and for her new book to be launched by a different publisher," said Blair.
In a statement, Bloomsbury said its 15-year relationship with Rowling "remains stronger than ever" - and new editions of the seven Potter novels were on the way.
In the US, Scholastic spokeswoman Kyle Good noted that Scholastic didn't publish adult books.
"We will continue to publish her children's books in the US," Good said on Thursday.
Any Rowling book would seem a guaranteed million seller, although it's questionable that her new novel will have the same mass appeal as Potter. Adult authors from E.B. White to Sherman Alexie have nicely managed the transition to writing for young people, but once a writer is defined as a children's author, the transition can be tricky.
Winnie the Pooh creator A.A. Milne, a successful playwright in his early years, once confessed that he was forced to say "goodbye to all that" after his beloved books about the bear and friends. Margaret Wise Brown, author of the classic "Goodnight Moon," tried for years to write stories for The New Yorker.-AP
