Author J.K. Rowling is officially launching a new campaign through her children’s charity, Lumos, with a Facebook Live interview Saturday afternoon.
Rowling founded the charity in 2005 to support the 8 million children institutionalized in orphanages around the world. She’ll be discussing the campaign, called We Are Lumos Worldwide, and the nonprofit’s work live on Lumos’ Facebook page at 3:15 p.m. ET/12:15 p.m. PT. (UPDATE: Here’s the link to the 25-minute interview.)
The organization’s name was inspired by Rowling’s wizarding world – Lumos is the spell that causes light to shine from the tip of a wizard’s wand. So naturally, several of the charity’s promotional and fundraising efforts have included elements of wizardry, and this one is no exception.
A limited edition T-shirt is already on sale, and 60 percent of the sales price will support the charity’s work, Pottermore announced. The shirt features the phrase, “We do not need magic to transform our world; we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already,” a quote from Rowling’s 2008 Harvard commencement speech.
There will also be two special events benefiting the charity. In London, a gala performance of the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is being staged Sunday. In New York, an advanced screening of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will be held at Carnegie Hall on Nov. 12, with an on-stage conversation between Rowling and Newt Scamander actor before the film.
A few other recent promotional events have included Professor Flitwick actor Warwick Davis and Luna Lovegood actor Evanna Lynch appearing in videos to share what they learned on trips to orphanages in different parts of the world. And chances are good you’ve already contributed cash to this nonprofit; if you have a copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, flip to the back and you’ll likely see a letter explaining the book’s sale supports either Lumos or the Children’s High-Level Group, the charity’s previous name.
