[with info from www.jkrowling.com]

When Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling rereleased her official website in May, her F.A.Q. also included a poll as to what question fans wanted her to answer next. Today, J.K. has announced that with 46% of the total votes, the question that won is "What is the significance, if any, of Mark Evans?"

As most fans know, Mark Evans is mentioned as being picked on by Dudley and his gang at the beginning of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (UK hardcover pg. 17, US hardcover pg. 13). The name of Mark Evans seemed significant to Harry Potter fans because Evans is Lilly's (Harry's mother's) maiden name.

Well, with profuse apologies to her fans for unintentionally leading them astray, J.K. explained today on her website that Mark Evans is, quoting from her website, "nobody. He's nobody in the sense that Mr. Prentice, Madam Marsh and Gordon-Dudley's-gang-member are nobodies, just background people who need names, but who have no role other than the walk-on parts assigned to them."

J.K. explained that she regrets giving him the name "Evans", and that it's a common name and she didn't give it much thought.

To read J.K.'s complete and sometimes humorous apology and explanation, go to her official website, click on the paper clips to go to the F.A.Q., then click on "Other Stuff", then hover your mouse over the little piece of paper sticking out at the left, and finally click on "F.A.Q. Poll".

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Published July 6, 2004

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