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Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to....visit Sark?

Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to....visit Sark?

Monday 19 February 2024

Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to....visit Sark?

Monday 19 February 2024


JK Rowling has sparked a mystery worthy of inclusion in any one of her best selling novels by using a picture of Sark's La Coupee as the header image on her X (Twitter) account.

The picture appears to have been posted late last week with rumours around why it has been used building over the weekend.

The front runners rumour wise appear to be that she has recently visited the Bailiwick on holiday, is setting a book in Sark, or is buying Brecqhou from the Barclay family.

brecqhou

Pictured: A glimpse of the gothic castle on Brecqhou from Sark.

The Barclay family are selling off some of their properties in Sark, but their private island does not appear to be included in the plans with estate agents dealing with the sale of more than 100 properties the family own in Sark - ranging from private homes to hotels, restaurants, and pubs. 

The Barclay Brothers - Sir Frederick and his late brother Sir David - bought Brecqhou in 1993 and set about having a gothic castle built using local tradesmen to do most of the work. Despite being notoriously private some images of the castle are available online. 

The island also has a helipad, staff quarters, including a bar, and other amenties for the private use of the Barclay family, their staff, and guests.

It could make the ideal private retreat for a philanthropic, millionaire author, who has attracted negative attention online due to her strong feminist views but continues to produce 'best selling books' - most recently under her psyodenuym Robert Galbraith.  

harry potter

Pictured: JK Rowling has sold an estimated 600million books. The bulk of those are in her wildly popular Harry Potter series. She has also published novels under the name Robert Galbraith.

The possibility of JK Rowling - or Robert Galbraith - using Sark as a setting for a novel was raised by the X account @sark_stories. 

This sparked suggestions of names - with the Seneschal Victoria Stamps coming up with 'Harry Potter and the stag party of doom'.

Perhaps 'Harry Potter and the collapsing Coupee' could be another idea after recent reports of a section on one side of the walk way washing away in bad weather earlier this year.

Sark has a history of being the location for novels, with Mr Pye among the most famous.

Arguably Brecqhou could also be a location for some wizard themed books in the Harry Potter series with its gothic castle following in the hallowed footsteps of Hogwarts. 

JK Rowling

It appears unlikely that JK Rowling has recently visited the Bailiwick, but she may have hinted that she will do in the future.

Stocks Hotel spotted her picture of La Coupee and said it was "great to see".

As we come out of the winter months, with little visitor accommodation open in Sark it would seem likely that someone of her means would stay at Stocks so either the hotel management are (rightly) keeping her stay confidential if she has recently been there or the social media manager was taken by surprise as much as everyone else when the author chose a picture of La Coupee for her social media account.

A visit to Sark - however private - would involve a stop off in Guernsey to enter the Bailiwick via the harbour or airport to clear customs. No one in the Express office has heard rumours of JK Rowling being spotted at either entry point. Have you? Let us know if so! 

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If she does choose to visit the Bailiwick, the sometimes controversial author has indicated she might take tea with the Women's Right Network, Guernsey branch.

JK Rowling has long been an outspoken feminist - having shared her own background of living in poverty after leaving an abusive marriage.

Her views on women's rights has put her at odds with those supporting equal rights for Transwomen alongside women.

The  Guernsey branch of the Women's Rights Network used X to invite her to meet them for tea, with other users of the social media site also encouraging this. JK Rowling responded by 'liking' the posts.

Express has contacted JK Rowling's press office to ask why she has used a photo of La Coupee on her X account. We'll update you if we discover any thing more! 

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GALLERY: Wow!

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