Jk Rowling’s new book may be targeted at an adult audience, though the novelist caused a stir in the wizardry world on Wednesday (September 26, 2012) by refusing to rule out a fifth Harry Potter novel. The author and one of the world’s richest women told the BBC she would be willing to revisit her hugely successful series if she came up with an interesting plot.

On the eve of her new book ‘The Casual Vacancy’, Rowling quite rightly said she had reached a point in her career whereby she no longer had to write “just to make money,” adding, “Harry Potter truly liberated me in the sense that there's only one reason to write, for me - if I genuinely have something I want to say, and I want to publish it… Now if I had a fabulous idea that came out of that world - because I loved writing it - I'd do it.” Rowling has no doubt been urged to write further Potter books by her publishers, though has often spoken of her desire to produce work for other genres and audiences. ‘The Casual Vacancy’ has been shrouded in secrecy ahead of its release though reportedly contains more adult themes such a class warfare, addiction and sexuality.

Time will tell whether holding the book back from the press was a shrewd move, though it’s safe to say Rowling will be top of the charts come next week. The new book is unlikely to reach the heady sales heights of E.J James’ ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ series, though an eighth Harry Potter novel? Now that just might.