The Ickabog was published by J.K. Rowling in 2020 as a children’s fantasy novel during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rowling originally conceived The Ickabog as a bedtime story for her own children while writing Harry Potter. In 2020, she released the story online in daily instalments during the first months of the pandemic, inviting children to create illustrations for a competition.
The completed book was published in November 2020. It is set in the fictional kingdom of Cornucopia, where a supposed monster called the Ickabog becomes connected to political manipulation, fear, and injustice. Proceeds from the book were donated to support groups affected by the pandemic.
The Ickabog is separate from the Harry Potter universe. It is also not The Christmas Pig, another Rowling children’s novel, which was published in 2021.