Encyclopaedia of Potterworld

"Yeah. Would it be okay if that's ten years? [No one laughed.]  No, listen, I absolutely intend to do it, but I can't pretend that I'm in a hurry right now.  It's gonna be a hell of a lot of work.  But I have - I've kept everything and I know where things are and yeah, at some point I will get myself together and do it."

- J. K. Rowling

The Harry Potter Encyclopedia is a planned guidebook by J. K. Rowling as the authoritive directory of all the creatures, characters, places, and other elements that comprise the Harry Potter universe. In a recent interview with PotterCast, Rowling reveals she definitely intends to write the encyclopedia, but wishes not to rush the process. Interestingly, she refers to it as "The Scottish Book", a reference to the way the play Macbeth is called "The Scottish Play". Among the subjects covered will be the method of creating a Horcrux, the manner in which Peter Pettigrew gave Lord Voldemort a rudimentary body, and the reasons for Florean Fortescue's murder.

Behind the scenes

 * Never on the first way the only two today
 * On 4 September, 2009, the Leaky Cauldron website reported that Rowling's fellow author, as well as friend and neighbour, Ian Rankin, mentioned in a BBC interview that Rowling had been "making family trees of all her characters" for the encyclopedia.


 * On 13 September, 2009, The Sunday Mail published on their website that Neil Blair, a lawyer for Rowling's agents Christopher Little said: "The encyclopedia simply remains something Ms. Rowling would like to complete sometime in the future." As such there is no indication as to when, or if, this work will see publication.


 * The Harry Potter encyclopedia was rumoured to be the subject of J.K Rowling's Pottermore announcement on 22 June, 2011, but it was revealed that this is not the case. However, the website features 18,000 new words of back story on characters, places, things, etc.