UK cover for “The Silkworm” released, J.K. Rowling to make appearance as Robert Galbraith!

Following yesterday’s announcement that the follow-up novel to The Cuckoo’s Calling, entitled The Silkworm, would be released this June, Robert Galbraith’s official website has been updated with more information about the book and its release. With the reveal yesterday for the American cover of the novel, the UK cover has been added to the website and can be seen below.

The website lists the publication date as June 19, 2014, which appears to be the UK release date. Hachette Book Group, the US publisher, lists the date as June 24, as revealed yesterday.

The website also reveals that J.K. Rowling, as Robert Galbraith, will be making a public appearance the day before the book is due to be released. J.K. Rowling will be in conversation with crime writer Val McDermid at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Harrogate, UK, on July 18 at 7:30 PM.

The festival website says,

“We are delighted to announce that J.K. Rowling, new to the crime genre under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, will be on the Harrogate stage with bestselling crime writer Val McDermid for a unique In Conversation event this July. This special event will take place at 7.30pm on Friday 18 July at the Royal Hall in Harrogate and will be J.K Rowling’s first and only appearance this year as Robert Galbraith.* The Silkworm, featuring the return of private investigator Cormoran Strike, will be published in hardback by Little, Brown on 19 June 2014. McDermid said of Galbraith’s first crime novel, ‘The Cuckoo’s Calling reminds me why I fell in love with crime fiction in the first place’.

Rowling/Galbraith and McDermid join an already stellar list of names, which includes the likes of Ann Cleeves, Sophie Hannah, Lynda LaPlante, Laura Lippman, Peter May, Denise Mina, Steve Mosby and S.J.Watson. The Festival dates are 17-20 July 2014, so block out these dates and join us for one long criminally good weekend.”

Details on how to obtain tickets are as follows:

“Tickets for all Special Guest events will be available to purchase from 10am on Monday 17th March 2014. Given the anticipated demand, Weekend Rover tickets and Individual Event Tickets to the Rowling/Galbraith event will not be made available online but can be purchased by phone on 01423 562303 or in person from the Harrogate International Festivals Office at 32 Cheltenham Parade, Harrogate HG1 1DB from the above on sale date/time. Tickets for this event will be limited to 3 per person and will be available for box office collection only (full information on this will be provided at the time of booking).”

For more details about The Silkworm, make sure you visit Robert Galbraith’s official website, which is being regularly updated! Tickets for Robert Galbraith in conversation with Val McDermid are bound to sell out quickly, so make sure you get your ticket as soon as they’re available if you want to be there!

Are you hoping to see J.K. Rowling as Robert Galbraith live? What do you make of the two covers? Let us know your thoughts on The Silkworm!