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Anti-Harry Potter and Anti-J. K. Rowling Masterlist

An anime girl crossing arms with a sidelong look and a Harry Potter-free message
This site is Harry Potter free. Lookin [sic] for it? Leave.

(Credit to Tumblr user comradesaucegay for this Harry Potter-free website banner)

Like many millennials, I grew up with the Harry Potter series and was a major fan of the series. I had read the original 7 books and watched their film adaptations. The series was a passion of mine during my early- to mid-teen years. While the Harry Potter novels were far from the first books I read, they were the first fantasy novels I read, and the series’ concept of a magical world set in a contemporary setting fascinated teenage me.

However, even during my Harry Potter fixation years, there were things from the series that bothered me, from the idea of house elves being a slave race that naturally love being slaves, to Snape’s unconvincing “redemption” arc. As I got older and became more aware of social issues, I started to notice more problems with the series. In addition, reading more books has also made me realise that even on a technical writing level, the Harry Potter series was mediocre at best. As a result, I had stopped becoming a Harry Potter fan even before J. K. Rowling’s transphobia got mainstream attention.

Unfortunately, many adults with nostalgia goggles still refuse to let go of Harry Potter, and they believe Harry Potter can be separated or “reclaimed” by J. K. Rowling, despite how much Rowling’s worldview and prejudice are inextricably linked to her writing.

Therefore, I am compiling this masterlist by curating various materials that are critical of the Harry Potter series and J. K. Rowling. Items are ordered in chronological order. This is far from a comprehensive list of all the pieces that criticise Harry Potter and Rowling; this list is my curated list of ones that I have read, watched or listened to, and I personally endorse.

Articles

Videos

Podcasts

  • The Shrieking Shack — A book reading podcast hosted by Xeecee and Liz. Originally a Harry Potter reread podcast made by and for lapsed fans that goes through every chapter of the Harry Potter books and their film adaptations and analyses the writing and politics of the series and J. K. Rowling.