Ahead of tonight’s Culture Show special on BBC2, the BBC have released another interview with Jo, some of which has been shown on BBC Breakfast this morning. There is a full transcript of the interview here, with two further articles; one a summary of the interview and one featuring thoughts from interviewer Will Gompertz (video of the interview is available in the two articles).

In one article, Gompertz describes Jo’s ‘bawdy and infectious’ laugh (which is often commented on in interviews!) and her ‘electric blue’ eyes. In the other there are several interesting new bits of information about Harry Potter (as well, of course, discussion of The Casual Vacancy)!

Firstly Jo talks about feeling rushed when writing a couple of the books:

“There were a couple of the Potters and I definitely knew that they needed another year. I had to write on the run and there were times when it was really tough. And I read them, and I think ‘Oh God, maybe I’ll go back and do a director’s cut’, I don’t know.”

And when asked if she really could leave the Potter universe alone?

I have always left the door ajar because I’m not that cruel. If I had a fabulous idea that came out of that world, because I loved writing it, I would do it. But I’ve got to have a great idea, I don’t want to go mechanically into that world and pick up odds and ends and glue them together and say “here we go, we can sell this”. It would make a mockery of what those books were to me. They really kept me going through some very rough times… So I just don’t want to betray them in that sense.

But you’re right, you know what, if I did have a great idea for something else, I probably would do it. I’m very averse to the prequel / sequel idea. I’ve never seen it work well in either literature or film. That’s a personal preference

Less than 24 hours to go!

Today the third of (we think) four print interviews with Jo has been published in USA Today. The interview is similar to the two we’ve already read, with a brief summary (with minor spoilers) of the plot, talk of Jo’s nerves/excitement, what she’s writing now, her appearance at the Olympics and more.

For the first time we see Jo’s thoughts about whether The Casual Vacancy should be made into a film:

“Personally, I don’t think this is a very filmable book. That is one of the things I like about it. I think it’s a very novelly novel in that a lot of what goes on happens internally. You need to understand what’s going on inside people’s heads. So even though a lot happens in the novel, part of the appeal of it for me is that so much of it happens in people’s interior life, and film isn’t necessarily the best medium to portray that.”

Reminder: tomorrow there will be TV interviews with Jo in the UK and the US. Check out our media round-up for more details! TWO MORE DAYS!

JK Rowling’s first “The Casual Vacancy” interview was printed in The Guardian this morning, and it comes with a companion video featuring Jo and her personal life. In the lengthy print interview, Jo talks about the conception of “The Casual Vacancy” and some of the messages inlaid in the book, as well as the highs and lows of her life as a renowned author.