The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling is an audio documentary published by The Free Press that examines some of the most contentious issues of our time through the life and career of the world’s most successful author. In conversation with host Megan Phelps-Roper, J.K. Rowling speaks with unprecedented candour and depth about the controversies surrounding her: from book bans to debates on gender and sex. The series also examines the forces propelling this particular moment in history, through interviews with Rowling’s supporters and critics, journalists, historians, clinicians, and more.

The story of J.K. Rowling is not just the story of one author, or one woman, or one issue. It is a microcosm of our time. It is about the polarization of public opinion and the fracturing of public conversation. It is about the chasm between what people say they believe and how they are understood by others. It is about what it means to be human: a social animal who is compelled to be an accepted member of a group. And it is about the struggle to discern what is right when our individual view of the world is necessarily limited and imperfect.