Harry Potter author promises fifth book 'shouldn't be too long'

JK Rowling says the fifth Harry Potter novel should be finished soon.

She says the question she is most often asked is "when is the book going to be ready?"

Rowling made an emotional homecoming at a charity screening of the first Harry Potter film in Edinburgh.

Guests at the premiere included Carol Smillie, Kirsty Wark and Ian Rankin, plus the film's producer David Heyman and director Chris Columbus. The event was expected to raise at least £50,000 for two charities chosen by Rowling - the MS Society, Scotland and Maggie's Cancer Care centres.

Arriving at the cinema an hour before the screening, Rowling said it was a special night for her.

She said: "Yes, because it's home and it's where Harry was born, so this was a very emotional moment for me."

Rowling promised her readers the fifth installment would not be long in coming.

Asked when it was due, she said: "That's the question I get asked more than any and I still don't know. It's still not finished but I am writing very hard, so it shouldn't be too long."