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There is a Daily Telegraph verion of this story but doesn't seem to have been archived as yet https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/27/trans-owned-bookshop-charges-customers-deface-harry-potter/

Indeed, look at how many children and adults discovered the joy of reading because of her Harry Potter books.

They've got a few one star reviews on TripAdvisor, words obviously got out. I don't agree with that, or with leaving reviews at all actually. There was a three or four star review that made me laugh. They have a few 'singed' books! Pre-burned!? What a service.

I hear next week you can pop along and glue pasta onto photocopied pics of JK. Bring your own stuffie.

Tiktok book burning for publicity.

It says for "healthcare" so I'm assuming cosmetic surgery and hormones.

JKR’s reaction when someone threatened to burn her DVDs: "Well, the fumes from the DVDs might be toxic and I've still got your money, so by all means borrow my lighter." She’s still got the money from the books too. I love her!

Is this a new Enid Blyton book? Five go down to the Genital Mutilation Clinic?

And when she told someone slagging her off on Twitter/X to speak up as she couldn't hear him over the din of four theme parks. I love her.

To be fair, someone on this thread asked if this stunt was a hate crime

But I might have missed the sarcasm!

Well, it's literal libricide....

This was my first thought too!!

They are literally giving her more money and publicity, whilst also making themselves look aggressive.

People like this are portraying the trans community in a negative light and I can imagine a lot of their own community will be upset that they’re doing this.

What a ridiculous idea.

Almost as if… testosterone was somehow involved?

It's quite funny in a way. They're just making themselves look stupid and immature which seems to be a trend with transfolk. Let them get on with it. They're just tantrumming toddlers having a defiance scribble on the walls.

Hmm, what sort of people deface and burn books?
Not a good look for them.

These people just can't stand it that there's a powerful, successful woman out there in the world, who disagrees with them and is impossible for them to bully!

YY to the poster who asked what the level of outrage would be if this was a business calling for the defacement of work created by a trans author!

I suspect that any tavern in the locallity would find themselves under seige and have the windows put in by the local TRA group supported by the bookish shop.

1. She’s a woman.
2. She doesn’t roll over and fawn.
3. She’s a woman.

Doesn't the bookshop have to buy the books?
So they are giving her money in order to have this ridiculous performance?

If i was her id be right there, toasting marshmallows, with a fuckoff sized grin on my face.

I will never not be amazed at the failure of trans activists to grow up.

You know, it's tempting to buy it and put every single page of childish hate online for the world to see.

They obviously think they are being really edgy, but when organisations do stuff like this they just attract people who enjoy the outrage of it all and are not really interested in what they are selling. Someone needs to understand what effective marketing actually means.

All this does is show the world how ridiculous they are. If I were a transgender person, I'd not want to be associated with all the hate. The few transgender people I know just want to live a quiet life like everyone else.

Silly, or sinister? It’s very “two minute hate”, isn’t it? Why not do something that celebrates the tran community to raise money? The trans rights movement seems to relish wallowing in hate and misery. Feminists may have burned bras but we don’t go around burning books, effigies, or calling for harm to come to those that oppose us.

Falls in perfectly with not bothering to advocate for solutions for facilities and instead getting angry when women won't do what they demand.

Yes, and as ICakeThereforeIAm says upthread, they go straight for negativity and abuse, whereas they could have used the opportunity to ask people to "deface" the book with positive things about the trans community.

lcakethereforeIam · Today 09:42
Great idea! Do Roald Dahl next! They can raise money for local Jewish people. Although Dahl was antisemitic and there's still that $1m waiting to be claimed if anyone can provide evidence of JKR being transphobic. You'd think Lithgow would be all over that.
I'm actually reminded of the time that tras sent porn and threats when JKR did that twitter thing for children's drawings. If they had to get people to deface the book, why not be positive? Get them to write nice things about transpeople instead of nasty stuff about women.