The Ickabog was the J.K. Rowling book first published online during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rowling released the children’s story in installments on a free website between 26 May and 10 July 2020.
She had written the fairy tale years earlier while working on Harry Potter, then set it aside. During the pandemic, she revised the manuscript and shared chapters online to entertain children who were affected by school closures and restrictions. Readers were also invited to create illustrations for a competition connected with the project.
A print edition followed in November 2020, with proceeds donated to organizations supporting groups affected by the pandemic. The Ickabog is a political fairy tale set in the fictional kingdom of Cornucopia, not a story in the Harry Potter universe. Rowling’s later children’s novel The Christmas Pig was published in 2021.