J.K. Rowling read from Peter Pan at the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony.
The ceremony took place at the Olympic Stadium in London on 27 July 2012. Rowling’s appearance formed part of a sequence celebrating children’s literature and British cultural life. She read an extract from J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan while the production featured performers connected with the story.
The segment included a large Voldemort figure and several representations of villains from children’s fiction. Volunteers and performers then helped depict the arrival of Mary Poppins characters, creating a theatrical transition between literary references and the ceremony’s wider celebration.
Peter Pan was not written by Rowling; it was created by Scottish author J. M. Barrie. Rowling’s role at the ceremony was as a reader and participant, not as the story’s author. Her presence reflected her status as one of Britain’s most internationally recognized children’s writers.