Does J.K. Rowling read Austen Fan Fiction?
In an interview conducted by Melissa Anelli of The Leaky Cauldron (the site that inspired AustenBlog) and Emerson Spartz of MuggleNet, J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series and well-known Friend of Jane, seems to understand the impulse that causes the creation of fan fiction, both of her books and of Jane Austen’s novels:
Also I think people will continue to theorize about the characters even at the end of book seven because some people are very interested in certain characters whose past lives are not germane to the plot, they’re not central to the story, so there is big leeway there still for fanfiction, just as there is, I mean – Jane Austen, I’m a huge Jane Austen fan and you wonder about the characters lives at the end of the story. They still exist, they still live, you’re bound to wonder, aren’t you?
Ms. Rowling, we would be delighted to hook you up if you’re really wondering. 
Jane Austen herself often spoke to family members about the characters in her books and their lives after the story ended. There’s a wonderful passage in one of her letters about finding “Mrs. Bingley’s” portrait at an exhibition, and looking for “Mrs. Darcy” but not finding her, and finally deciding that Mr. Darcy would not allow a portrait of his wife to be publicly exhibited.
WARNING: If you have not finished reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and want to remain unspoiled, you might want to skip the J.K. Rowling interview till you have finished the book.
Speaking of Harry Potter and Jane Austen, and pray forgive the blog-pimping, the Editrix dropped in at Woodston Parsonage on Saturday to make sure the rector and his wife had received their copy of HBP…
July 19th, 2005 at 7:25 pm
If only she would, once she gets young Mr Potter off her mind,try her hand at a sequel herself. Guaranteed best seller, probably be turned into a film, oh the possibilities.
July 19th, 2005 at 8:09 pm
I was thinking that. Emma is her favorite, and there’s hardly any Emma paraliterature, unless you count my theory of Ron and Hermione being Emma and Mr. Knightley with the genders switched!