The Rowling-written book published in 2020 after being serialized free online was The Ickabog.
The Ickabog is a standalone political fairy tale about the imaginary kingdom of Cornucopia and its ruler, King Fred the Fearless. The story centres on a legendary creature called the Ickabog and explores how fear, propaganda and poor leadership can harm a society. It is separate from the Harry Potter universe.
Rowling wrote the story years earlier for her own children, then revisited it during the COVID-19 pandemic. She published the text online in installments in 2020, allowing children to read it free while many schools and families were affected by lockdowns. A print edition followed later that year.
The project also included a children’s illustration competition. Selected drawings appeared in editions of the book, and Rowling pledged proceeds to charitable causes connected with the pandemic. The Ickabog is therefore not a new Harry Potter installment or a companion volume.