Rowling gives public reading in Scotland

Harry Potter author JK Rowling today delighted a small group of her devoted fans by giving her first public reading in Scotland for four years – and giving away a few clues as to how the seven-book series might progress.

The world-famous writer teased her lucky young fans with a few morsels of new information as she made a rare public appearance in her home city at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.

She told them her eponymous hero would “survive to book seven” but refused to confirm whether he would grow up to be a wizard.

And she revealed that there were two vital questions she had never been asked about the series which might help to unravel its mysteries.

The best-selling author jokingly chastised herself for being “shockingly indiscreet”, but she kept her mouth tightly shut when asked about the title of her seventh book.

This latest event marked her fifth appearance at the annual literary festival, which got under way yesterday.

More than 500 people had tickets to see the author read from the Order of the Phoenix – the fifth book in the Harry Potter series.

This year, her appearance coincides roughly with the UK publication of the latest novel in paperback.