JK Rowling Donates $1.68M In Fight Against Scotland’s Independence Ahead Of New Book’s Release

J.K. Rowling has spoken her piece. The British best-selling “Harry Potter” author Wednesday reconfirmed her previously stated belief that Scotland should remain tied to the United Kingdom by donating a reported 1 million pounds ($1.68 million) to the cause.

According to a report from Reuters, Rowling, 48, who is set to release her latest novel “The Silkworm" under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith on June 19, donated to the Better Together Campaign, a group that opposes the upcoming referendum on Sept. 18, which could end the country’s three-century-long tie to England.

“The more I have read from a variety of independent and unbiased sources, the more I have come to the conclusion that while independence might give us opportunities -- any change brings opportunities -- it also carries serious risks,” Rowling, a current Edinburgh resident, said in a statement on her official site, listing the potential economic impacts of the split as her main concern. “If we leave, though, there will be no going back,” she said.

Rowling concluded her statement by pleading her allegiance for the country she has called home for the past 21 years and sharing that no matter the referendum’s outcome, she is hopeful for Scotland’s future. “I’d prefer to stay and contribute to a country that has given me more than I can express. It is because I love this country and I want it to thrive,” she said. “I just hope with all my heart that we never have cause to look back and feel that we made a historically bad mistake.”

According to a spokesperson for the Better Together campaign, a network which is currently raising awareness to keep Scotland and the United Kingdom unified, Rowling recently donated 1 million pounds for the cause. Reuters is reporting that Rowling’s donation is currently the largest received by the campaign.

Rowling first went public with her stance against Scotland’s independence in 2012.

According to the latest TNS poll released Wednesday, 42 percent of voters agreed with Rowling’s stance against the split, 30 percent of voters were in favor of the change and 28 percent were undecided.