J.K. Rowling’s 2020 fantasy novel first released online during the COVID-19 pandemic is The Ickabog.
Rowling published the story online in installments between May and July 2020, making it freely available during a period when many children were at home because of pandemic restrictions. The printed edition followed later in 2020. The tale is set in the fictional kingdom of Cornucopia, where a feared monster called the Ickabog becomes entangled with political manipulation and injustice.
The book is separate from the Harry Potter universe and is not a continuation of that series. Rowling had written much of it earlier, before revising it for publication. A children’s illustration competition accompanied the release, and selected drawings appeared in editions of the book.
The Ickabog also supported charitable fundraising: Rowling donated her royalties from the book to projects assisting people affected by the pandemic. That publishing history distinguishes it from The Christmas Pig, which was announced earlier but published as a later standalone novel.