J.K. Rowling is releasing her new story - a fairy tale called The Ickabog, in instalments online, over the next seven weeks for everyone to read... 

The first chapters are available now, with further instalments posted every weekday for seven weeks, leading up to 10th July. It has been written as a read-aloud story, but it’s suitable for seven to nine year olds to read by themselves.

Alongside this, J.K. Rowling - with her publishers - are calling for all budding artists aged 7-12 to enter the illustration competition, and help her illustrate her story. 

Entries to the competition will open on Friday 29th May 2020 and the competition will close at 6pm BST on Friday 17th July 2020 - or before 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, July 17, 2020 if you are entering the US/Canada competition. 

Residents of the UK, Republic of Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and India can enter via the UK publisher’s competition. Residents of the US and Canada can enter via the US publisher’s competition. Other countries will be coming soon ...

Winning entries - chosen by the publishers - will get a signed copy of the book when it is published in November, plus £500 (or equivalent) worth of new books for your school or local library.

Get reading - and good luck to all those budding illustrators out there!