(PatriotWise.com) – Laur Flom, a 23-year-old Toronto, Canada-based activist and bookbinder, is reselling J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” books with the author’s name removed. Flom says he’s acting in protest of Rowling’s alleged transphobia.
Rowling has been under fire by activists regarding statements she made in 2020 about gender and transgenderism. The author drew the ire of not only fans, but of actors from her film franchise, including titular actor Daniel Radcliffe.
A mid-January 2023 video of one of Flom’s altered “Potter” books caused Rowling’s name to trend across social media platforms once again. This time, though, it was because Flom was making copies of the “Potter” books available without Rowling’s name on the spine and cover, as well as on the title and copyright pages of each book.
Flom claimed that her omission of Rowling’s names from the books would give “Potter” fans struggling with Rowling’s ethics the opportunity to enjoy the stories.
According to a report from Fox News, Flom said, “The project is spurred by her transphobia … I was [a fan]. Growing up when I did, it was a given that you would read ‘Harry Potter.’”
Flom is selling copies of the “Harry Potter” series sans Rowling’s name on her website. Users can purchase the books for roughly $170 USD each, or $1200 for the whole series, which is comprised of seven novels.
Rowling has stated more than once that she does support transgender individuals. However, she has raised concerns around the elimination of language specific to gender. This stance, and the ongoing discussions around it, have kept the author under constant fire from activists.
“[I]f you’re going to say it’s ‘hate’ not to believe in a gendered soul, then we cannot have a discussion,” said Rowling in an interview in December 2022.
One of the primary questions raised by Flom’s reselling of the “Potter” books sans Rowling is whether or not he’s infringing on the author’s copyright. But because his work is creative, and because the books have been legally purchased, the book’s owner can make changes as long as they’re not committing fraud on any level.
Because Flom isn’t making changes to the book’s text or claiming that someone else wrote it, he’s within his rights to re-bind as he sees fit.
Flom seeks to create a “safe space” for “Potter” fans, urging readers to send their books to him for re-binding.
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