Putin uses JK Rowling as example of western cynicism and ‘cancel culture’

Vladimir Putin has accused the west of attempting to "cancel" Russian culture, comparing the treatment of the nation's cultural figures to JK Rowling.

During a televised meeting on Friday with leading cultural figures, Putin said the west was "trying to cancel a whole 1,000-year culture, our people," before referencing the Harry Potter author.

"Recently they cancelled the children’s writer Joanne Rowling because she – the author of books that have sold hundreds of millions of copies worldwide – fell out of favour with fans of so-called gender freedoms," the Russian president said.

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