Harry Potter author JK Rowling is donating £1m to charity to help tackle domestic abuse and homelessness during the pandemic.
The Scots writer has pledged to give £500,000 each to Crisis and Refuge, who are both facing increased demand due to the nationwide lockdown.
The 54-year-old Edinburgh resident also paid tribute to key frontline workers who are working hard to save lives, including three of her own family members.
She has pledged the funds in honour of the fictional Battle of Hogwarts, which took place in her magical books 22 years ago today.
Rowling tweeted: “Today’s the 22nd anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts, but I’m going to be honest and say that it feels inappropriate to talk about fictional deaths today.
“Too many people are losing loved ones in the real world.
“So on this anniversary of a great wizarding victory, I’m thinking of the people who’re out there doing their jobs to protect us and our way of life.
“I have 3 key workers in my immediate family, and like all such relatives, I’m torn between pride and anxiety.
“As ever in a crisis of this sort, the poorest and most vulnerable are hit hardest, so in honour of the Battle of Hogwarts, I’ll be making a donation of £1m, half of which will go to Crisis, who’re helping the homeless during the pandemic.
"And half of which will go to Refuge, because we know that domestic abuse has, sadly, increased hugely during the lockdown.”
The generous author previously revealed that she had suffered from all the symptoms of the coronavirus but had not been tested for the infection.
She has since fully recovered.
