Trans-owned bookshop invites customers to vandalise JK Rowling's Harry Potter novels

[IwantToRetire]

A trans-owned bookshop has been inviting customers to vandalise JK Rowling's Harry Potter novels for 25p.

The Bookish Type in Leeds is inviting customers to deface the beloved children's book to raise money for transgender healthcare.

Customers can deface 'as many pages' as they want of an edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

The independent shop then plan to auction the book off once it's filled up.

Rowling, 60, has become a target after positioning herself as one of the country's most prominent gender-critical voices.

One message, addressing Rowling, says: 'You’ve ruined yourself, ruined the name of feminism and ruined the precious childhood of thousands of women and girls. F* you.'

The Bookish Type told PinkNews: 'We came up with this idea a few weeks ago as a silly and cathartic way to raise money for five local trans people.

'It was originally going to only be on our second hand Sunday event that we run every few months where we sell second hand books and give all the money towards local trans people’s healthcare costs, but we did it a week early and people love it!'

Article continues at https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15685715/Trans-owned-bookshop-invites-customers-vandalise-JK-Rowlings-Harry-Potter-novels.html

There is a Daily Telegraph verion of this story but doesn't seem to have been archived as yet https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/27/trans-owned-bookshop-charges-customers-deface-harry-potter/

Clever way of publicising the bookshop.
Now if they are so offended why have they any books by JKR in the shop.

Makes me want to buy more JKR books just to be contrary.

Wouldn't it make more sense to auction off signed books by transgender authors or something than auction off a book they don't like and also spent money on to do this thing?

I just read somewhere that Trans people just want to live their lives and be left alone. How does publicizing a book burning in their name square with that with that?

I saw this a few days ago and thought there'd be a thread on here before long.
I personally think defacing books is ridiculous. Regardless of what you think of the author, what is that going to achieve?!
Just makes you look daft.
Defacing or banning books is not a good look on whichever side it's coming from.

Wow…this but not the Art of the Sale?

Their priorities are really fucked up.

That’s actually quite funny. I imagine JKR also finding it funny. After all, it promotes freedom of speech and promotes people supporting each other. Exactly the values that she stand up for.

Definitely falls into the category of ‘No publicity is bad publicity’.

One delightful entry says “spit on TERFS”. Well I suppose we should be grateful it doesn’t say rape or punch women like other threats over the years.

ruined the precious childhood of thousands of women and girls. F* you.

As always trans men don't exist for these misogynists.

My first thought is 'i wonder if the 5 local trans people are middle aged men in a polycule' to be honest.

They should make a big pile of them. Then march while burning them. And chant mindless slogans at the same time. And wear black like they do, they seem to like that.

It's all about the performance with this cult isn't it.

Since JKR paid 47.5 million pounds in tax last year I suspect she doesn't feel very ruined

Can you imagine the howls of outrage if someone tried that stunt with a trans author's work?

Such nasty, petty little people they are.

Is this not a hate crime

I’m not getting it, does JKR get royalties for the books they sell to deface or if they are second hand she already has the royalties? What are they actually achieving?

I don't think so. It's just the day to day nastiness of banal dull pople.

They are only defacing one, which they will then auction.

As an art stunt I don't have an issue with principal of defacing a single book to make a political point. I don't think books are precious objects that can't be touched or anything.

I just think in this case it's a dull, trivial and un-thought-through exercise which is far more likely to produce pages of spitten dummies and rage-against-mummy than anything insightful or touching.

Sums up how pathetic and petty these people are.

@FlirtsWithRhinosThey are only defacing one, which they will then auction.

She has the chance to do something really funny here... 😂

Wouldn't it be a shame if local terven wrote positive messages about JKR in the book.

Ooh aren’t the men in wigs and dresses just so edgy and special. What a stunning and brave thing to do

I’m sure JKR devastated 😂

What are they actually achieving?
They have got us talking about them. Again.

If they only knew about the level of dross, banal, unimportant conversations I engage in on a daily basis as a person and this certainly fits well into that category, they would see that is not something to aspire too.

Presumably the book itself has already been bought by the store, so JKR is also profiting from this. The lovely irony there.

I hope she embraces this opportunity, as @JellySaurus points out, free speech is right up her Diagon Alley.